Idol Project: Riot Force 6
by nissanity
Summary: After becoming one of the most successful idols in the music industry, Nanoha realizes that the path to fame can be a lonely journey. Together with Hayate, Nanoha forms a new idol group and learns that only by working with others towards a common dream, can she achieve her highest potential. AU, NanoFate fluff.
1. Chapter 1 - Initiative

**A/N:** Hey everyone, I'll keep this short. This is my first fic I'm posting but it's been a plot I've been contemplating for quite some time. My apologies if I use honorifics incorrectly or the lyrics are not translated correctly – I'm relying heavily on the internet on those for reference, as I do not speak Japanese. There will be romance between female characters and yuri themes throughout the story so if does not interest you, you may want to considering skipping this one.

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime, AKB0048, The Idolm ster, or any other songs or lyrics used throughout the story.

**_Song Reference: _**Yume wa Nando mo Umarekawaru by AKB0048

**Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

**Chapter 1 – _Initiative_**

* * *

_Hayate sighed with a mixed feeling of relief and anticipation as she took a seat in the producer's booth above the auditorium. Her childhood friend had recently confessed a bold and passionate dream of hers, and Hayate immediately volunteered to help make it a reality. The past three months had been a grueling trial for herself and anyone who had innocently volunteered their time to help achieve this mission, but she knew in her heart that the hard work her friends and colleagues all put in would be rewarded in due time._

_It was the day a new group would be formed at Uminari Academy. A group that together would share in the joys, hardships, and successes that her best friend currently faced alone. A new stage was to be set, and those would had the talent and resolve were going to be standing on it, next to one of Japan's hottest and most successful idols._

_That is, if they could dare try to keep with up one Nanoha Takamachi..._

* * *

**Nanoha POV**

"Next!" Signum's voice boomed across the auditorium, loud enough to be heard clearly by the contestants backstage. Everyone in her immediate area recoiled at the unexpected voice that echoed throughout the building.

I nearly jumped out of my seat with the outburst as well. "Nyahaha, are you intentionally trying to scare the hell out everyone who's auditioning, Signum?" I asked. This was the third time she had a startled me in such a manner.

Signum shrugged slightly. "If they can't handle something like that, then they shouldn't be onstage at all."

I could only nod and smile slightly, and turn my focus back to the next contestant walking onto the stage. She had a point; if Signum's approach made them nervous, then they were in no way prepared for the stressful lifestyle in which they were all so eagerly auditioning for. Her straightforward mindset, along with her talent and experience, were exactly why we had asked Signum, one of the dance instructor's at the school, to assist us at the auditions today.

It was also helpful that Signum was Hayate's older adopted cousin, and would pretty much do anything that Hayate asked of her. I had known Signum for much of my life as well, and our relationship was much more akin to friendship than a student-teacher dynamic.

"_Christ Signum, if you shout like that again I'm going to take you out myself,_" Hayate growled into our headsets from the producer's booth.

The communication system we were using was only capable of one-way transmissions from Hayate in the booth to our earpieces. Signum and I were seated together in the third row of the auditorium that was set up as a judges' area for the auditions.

We had devised a simple response system from ourselves to the occupant seated in the booth: one index finger pointed up in the air meant "yes/understood", and two fingers like a peace sign meant "no/unclear".

I simply held my left index finger up as to say yes, I completely agreed with her statement about Signum's outbursts. I glanced over at Signum, who also had a single finger in the air above her head. It took half a second for me it wasn't her _index_ finger that she had proudly directed in Hayate's direction.

"_Signum and her empty promises, I swear..._" Hayate trailed off playfully in our ears.

I bit down slightly on my lower lip to suppress an embarrassed giggle and glanced over at Signum, who was slowly lowering her hand. Her eyes were affixed to the stage, complimented with a slight blush on her cheeks, trying to not outwardly acknowledging the statement.

Signum always felt flustered when Hayate, her cousin and seven years her junior, was able to get the best of her through playful innuendo like that.

She cleared her throat twice and announced, "Contestant number 37, Teana Lanster. Thank you for your audition today."

The contestant with auburn-colored hair - dressed in a simple black skirt, black formfitting sleeveless undershirt, sleeveless white vest, and brown accent belt across her hips - had made her way to center stage during Hayate and Signum's last exchange. She was busy having her wireless headset put into place by the stage assistants and finally nodded in agreement to them that everything was placed properly and in working order. The assistants quickly retreated to the wings, leaving Teana alone to face the judges.

"T-thank you for allowing me this chance to audition Yagami-sensei, Takamachi-san," Teana stated into her headset. Her voice echoed through the speaker system, but she did not seem uncomfortable with the projection. I took that as a good sign that she might be familiar with performing on stage.

I was familiar with Teana Lanster as a fellow student of Uminari Academy, two years my junior. Although we had never formally spoke, I had noticed her presence around the school on several occasions. Her hair was usually neat in twintails and bangs trimmed stylishly framing her face. Her uniform always appeared immaculate and her demeanor attempted to portray an aura of confidence. I had always suspected that underneath her rigid exterior though, Teana had some insecurities that she was trying very hard to conceal.

"Let's see, Teana-chan - Oh, is it alright if I address you as that?" I asked. Teana simpled nodded and smiled.

"Okay Teana-chan, it says here on your application you would like to become a songwriter/ music producer someday?"

Teana beamed and nodded again. "Yes, that's correct Takamachi-san. Ever since I started attending Uminari Academy I have studied music theory and composition with that very specific goal."

"And what brings you here to audition for the school's new group?" I was curious to find out her answer, as I'm was sure it would probably be a genuine and well-thought out response.

It was difficult for me to admit, but up to this point not a single one of the prior thirty-six contestants had made a lasting impression on myself nor, I assumed, Signum and Hayate. The previous answers to the same question had ranged from "Because I'm a huge fan of yours, Takamachi-san!" to "I just really want to be rich and famous," and most recently "I would probably land a really hot boyfriend if I became an idol."

Needless to say the performances following these ill-thought out responses were also less than spectacular. "_For a school that prides itself on grooming it's students to be top performers in the entertainment industry.._." I thought bitterly, but halted my negative internal dialogue when Teana began to speak again.

"I think the only way I can write and produce music for others to perform, would be to first understand what it is like to be a performer. More than anything, I want to bring joy to people through music and to do so, I would like to experience how music is delivered to people from every angle possible."

Teana looked slightly embarrassed in her response but I knew the words she spoke rang true to her feelings. In my heart, I knew that Teana would fit in quite well with the image I had in my mind for this new group that had long possessed my thoughts and dreams. Having a talented songwriter would be a much needed addition to the group, as my strengths lay less in creativity and more with leadership, guidance, and motivation.

"And what song will you be performing for us today?" Signum asked from my side.

I could sense an air of hope from Signum that Teana would become a strong contender for the group, considering what we had seen before, even if she was attempting to mask her intrigue behind her stoic demeanor.

"Yume wa Nando mo Umarekawaru, by Takamachi-San" was Teana's bold reply.

I couldn't suppress the impressed smirk and raised eyebrows that had made their way to my face. This girl was _really_ confident in her abilities to attempt one of my own songs right in front of me. I heard Signum give a slightly amused grunt as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms across her chest.

I heard Hayate whistle into my earpiece. "_Pretty ballsy. Let's hope she doesn't screw up one of your best songs for all of us, Nanoha._"

I simply held up my left hand in the air with index finger extended as the background music I was all too familiar with began to play. Choreography in the initial performance wasn't required but could be incorporated if the performer wished to. I watched as Teana moved gracefully with the beat of the intro music in well-prepared, original steps.

"She has some pretty fluid movements," I murmured. I noticed Signum glance at me, slightly nodding. As the lead choreographer for the new group, I knew she could appreciate these types of efforts and what potential lay in the contestant in front of her.

I leaned forward in my seat as the first set of lyrics were due to start. I had to quell the urge to start singing them myself as was second nature to me.

**Yoru no sora kagayaku hoshi wa**

(The stars that shine in the night sky)

**Nanokukounen no kanata**

(Lie billions of light years away)

**Tatoe fukai zetsubou ga**

(Even if the depths of despair)

**Mugen no yami to natte mo**

(Should cast an endless shadow)...

I allowed myself to feel a sense of relief to wash over me. Teana not only was performing my song well, but I dare say she was doing a bit better job of it than I ever did. Others might have felt threatened or offended had they been placed in a similar situation to the one I was currently facing, but I felt nothing but excitement.

Teana was giving me a run for my own money, and I knew that was exactly what I wanted when forming this group. I needed to constantly be challenged from those around me to truly feel alive, and in turn bring the best I could offer to my fans.

Knowing in my heart that Teana had secured her rightful place on that stage, I allowed my mind to enjoy her performance and drift off to the time when I first told Hayate about my most persistent lifelong dream...

* * *

_**Three months ago**_

"Na-no-haaaaa..." Hayate tried unsuccessfully to get my attention for the third time.

"Umhmmm," I replied absentmindedly, transfixed by the beautiful face with long flowing blond hair and burgundy eyes staring back at me from the magazine I was currently reading.

Hayate and I were occupying the private section of the cafeteria the school had constructed for me about two years ago, when it became apparent that my popularity as a Japanese idol was growing quickly and steadily. The section was completely enclosed with a private entrance, but built with windows large enough to see in and out. There was a cafeteria table in the middle, along with a couch on the far wall and a few student desks in the corner in case schoolwork needed to be done.

Usually I try not to take advantage of my status as an idol when at school (or ever really), but sometimes it was necessary just to make life simpler for myself, and more importantly, the special people in my life. Only those with my permission could enter the section so that myself and my friends could enjoy some semblance of a normal lunch, or to hold a study group without constant interruptions from other students.

Even though I appreciated and adored each and every one of my fans, I wasn't comfortable being treated differently by the other students at my own school. Uminari Academy had a strict policy against students treating a fellow classmate like a celebrity, no matter what that classmates status and popularity was. That included not asking for autographs or photos, or excessively embarrassing them with praise and such.

Most students kept mindful of these rules, but on numerous occasions certain students had gone to many lengths to try to befriend me. I was usually able to avoid awkward situations with an overeager classmate trying too hard to get close and insert themselves in my life by simply stating I was too busy to pursue new friendships at the moment (which in reality was mostly true). As long as I was firm and consistent with my answers they usually gave up the pursuit.

"Damnit Nanoha, I somehow feel like **I'm** going to get pregnant with the way you are staring at her!" Hayate finally exclaimed.

That comment immediately brought me out of my stupor. "W-what?" I said as I felt my cheeks slowly increase in heat. "I'm not... Wait Hayate, how could Fate-chan possibly get someone pregnant?"

Hayate not so gracefully choked on and spit out the soda she had attempted to drink during my particularly naïve moment. She stared at me dumbfounded, slowly wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. It took me a few seconds to realize just how ridiculous my statement had been.

"Tsk, nevermind." I slumped down. "That was dumb."

Hayate grinned and started laughing slightly. "It's okay. Now I just have a really good idea where your brain was exactly while looking through that magazine."

I turned my head slightly to the side, not quite understanding. "Huh, my brain? Well, I was thinking about when Fate-chan used to go to school here..."

Hayate just shook her head at me slowly and moved on. "Yeah, it was only during our first year right? Before she left school and became a professional model. I remember she left after a family emergency happened, but the teacher didn't really tell us any details or anything."

"I remember that too. She was always adorable, with her hair up in those two ponytails. And she was so shy and quiet. Nyahaha, I think I really scared her when I tried to be friends with her! She would always run away from me. Her last name used to be Testarossa, now that I think back." Nanoha glanced at the magazine again.

The model, now known as Fate T Harlaown, was portrayed twice on both sides of the magazine in a double ad from a famous perfume company. One on side Fate was facing away from the camera and was in mid stride, visable from the waist up, in a stylish zip up black hoodie with yellow and red accents. The zipper on the hoodie was three quarters down, revealing a barely-there yellow bikini top underneath.

"Think they're real?" Hayate asked.

"It looks like it," I replied. I unconsciously started to move my finger towards the magazine to touch the area we both eyeing enviously.

Hayate slapped my hand away. "Don't do that, that's too weird even for me."

"Sorry," I said, chewing my bottom lip. The other page showed Fate in the same outfit, but this time with a drastically different pose. Her hands were intertwined in her disheveled hair and she was looking, well, rather seductively towards the camera with her chin slightly raised, full lips parted, and her eyes half open.

Even with her eyes somewhat closed I could still see the same look I had noticed so many years ago when were still children. I always wondered if anyone else saw what I did, or if it was only me who noticed.

"Her eyes... Do you see it too?" I asked absently.

"Huh? See what? They are certainly unique."

"And sad. They always were like that, you know? Like, they seem to store a lot of pain in them." A familiar feeling rushed through my body. It was a feeling I hadn't experienced in quite some time but I knew it instinctively.

"_I want to save her,_" was the thought that repeated through my mind, just as it did so many years before.

"It's too bad we couldn't stay in touch with her after she left school. She seemed like she could have used more friends," Hayate said as if reading my thoughts.

"Yeah, but she is a famous model now. Which is great for her of course, but I doubt we would ever be able to get in touch with her or anything."

Hayate slammed her soda bottle down on the table. "Seriously, Nanoha? Seriously! Is this yet another moment where I have to remind you of your own status here on this planet? With one phone call, in five minutes you could probably have Fate's personal cell number, home address, and hell maybe even her measurements if you were so inclined!"

"I think her measurements are right here actually," I stated, flipping to another section of the magazine.

Hayate sighed and stopped my hand from turning any more pages. "Nanoha, you're going to have to help me out with something here."

"What is it, Hayate?" I said, giving my her my full attention since she suddenly sounded serious.

"Why is it so hard for you to embrace who you are? What you are, really? It seems like you have worked so hard to succeed and yet, I don't know. It's almost like you are sacrificing yourself for the happiness of others, and not really doing anything for your own benefit."

I broke eye contact with Hayate as she listed her candid observations of me. She was just too perceptive; I was like an open book to her. I paused for a moment before realizing I should just tell her what had been on my mind for quite some time.

"Hayate, you should know that I do love what I do, and I would do anything for my fans. Despite everything I just... I-I feel so alone sometimes. It's ironic, right? The more people are around me, the lonelier I feel it seems."

"How are you supposed to fix that, I wonder?" Hayate was genuinely concerned, but she couldn't really figure out a solution at the moment to help her best friend.

"Well I do have an idea," I stated. "I don't know if it is even possible, but I'd like to try to see if I can get the school to go along with it. They have been supportive with my career so far, maybe they'll see this as a good opportunity as well."

Hayate raised her eyebrows and nodded in encouragement. "Well?"

"I was thinking of forming a group. Like an all-girl musical group. I want to share my success with others, and have them be a part of the journey with me. I want to belong to something special, not just it being me alone all the time." I was staring at the table, idly rolling a pencil back and forth on the tabletop feeling a bit vulnerable.

Hayate stood up suddenly. "Nanoha, are you kidding me? That's brilliant! It's so brilliant. Oh my gosh, do you even realize the possibilities that -?" Hayate started pacing back and forth in front of me. "You have to tell Linith! She's the head manager, I know she could make it happen in two seconds. And Signum. Yeah, Signum would definitely want to be involved! She's been dying to branch out from her dancing instructor position here. She could be the choreographer. And, and..."

"Hayate?" I started.

"How many girls? Where would you scout from? School you think?"

"Wait, what? I hadn't really gotten that far -"

"You could hold auditions! I'm sure there are plenty of girls here at school with enough talent and just the right look."

"Hold on, Hayate! Nyahaha, you're making me nervous with all your sudden energy." I watched as Hayate refocused her attention on me. "Okay good. Well, it wouldn't mean as much if it were only strangers I was performing with, you know?

"What do you mean?" Hayate looked puzzled.

"Well, I would want to take this on with others I truly care about. Hayate, would you be interested in being the first official member of the group with me, if it ever happened? I already know you can sing, and I'm sure Signum will help you with learning choreography."

I watched as Hayate's mouth fell open in shock. She seemed to be trying to say something but it was apparently lost among her own thoughts. It was the first time I had seen her without words, honestly.

Eventually, I noticed a few tears had formed in the corners of her eyes as she looked down at the floor. She closed her mouth and cleared her throat to regain a bit of composure. Quickly brushing away a tear, she smiled slowly. "Nanoha, you can't be serious about wanting me to -?"

"Hayate, I've never been more serious about anything in my life," I stated firmly, cutting her off. "I can't do this without my best friend by my side. If that curtain ever opens for the first time on this new group, I need you to be right next to me on that stage."

Hayate inhaled deeply, paused, and then made her decision. Approaching me quickly, she grasped my hands into her own as she looked straight into my eyes. "Okay Nanoha, I'll be there with you. I'm going to trust in your vision of this group. So now, I need you to trust me. I will help you make this happen, I swear to you!"

I could feel myself grinning from ear to ear. I knew Hayate would be true to words and that eventually my once distant dream could soon to become a reality. Feeling my own tears forming, I quickly pulled my best friend into a hug.

And through my own tears I simply asked her, "Okay, where do we start?"

* * *

**A/N:** Perhaps a slow start but I am hoping to have a solid foundation for this story. I plan to update with a new chapter every few days when possible. Hope to see you again soon! ~Nissanity~


	2. Chapter 2 - Revelations

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to start following the story, and **chaosrin **and** Midwayy **for the first reviews! I hope that you all will continue to find this story interesting as it progresses~

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

**Songs Referenced:**

"Huh" by 4Minute

"Fiction" by Beast

"Closer to the Edge" by 30 Seconds to Mars

* * *

******Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 2 – **___**Revelations**_

* * *

**Nanoha POV**

Teana had just finished her performance, slightly breathless and grinning on stage. I could sense the pride she felt with what she had accomplished in those few minutes after so many years of hard work and dedication. I myself was all too aware of that intoxicating feeling after every energized concert or successful studio session.

"**Tea, you rocked! Hey, Tea!**" came a sudden burst from behind the judges' area. Signum and I looked behind us to see a short-haired blunette waving her arms over her head towards the stage, in what could only be classified as a goofy and clumsy show of support.

I smiled and faced forward again, suddenly noticing that Teana's face had turned from grin to grimace. Eyes closed and head slightly bent down, I could almost hear Teana internally willing the blue-haired girl to just shut up already.

"Okay everyone let's take a fifteen minute break. We will start the second half of the auditions when we come back," echoed Hayate's voice over the speaker system in the auditorium. Everyone in the seats slowly stood up and started filing outside to get some fresh air, and to sample the refreshments waiting in the lobby.

"_Signum, Nanoha, join me in the booth please?" _Hayate's voiced piped into our ears. "_Oh and get Teana up here as well without it being too obvious to everyone else._"

Signum held up her index finger towards the booth as confirmation. A meeting between the three of us wouldn't be necessary regarding the talented redhead; we already knew we all supported the idea of Teana becoming the newest member of the group.

Signum slowly approached the area near where Teana was, now standing next to her blue-haired friend that had caused the scene a few minutes ago. She was slapping her friend's arm while scolding her for the embarrassment on stage. The clueless blunette could only take her punishment with slight tears in her eyes and a goofy grin on her face.

As Signum casually walked past Teana, she simply stated "Lanster, please go follow Nanoha" and continued on her way.

Teana, surprised by the statement, looked around and saw me standing in the doorway leading up to the producer's booth. I nodded my head slightly to indicate to her to follow me. With that, I left the doorway and started climbing up the stairs.

"_I hope she can still walk, she looked like she was about ready to faint just now,_" I thought, giggling to myself.

I opened the door to the producer's booth and sat down tiredly next to Hayate. "Halfwayyy ddooonneee!" I proclaimed with my head in my hands.

Hayate grinned and scratched her cheek. "Yeah, I wasn't anticipating, well, all of _that_." She gave a sweeping gesture towards the stage.

"If Teana-chan hadn't shown up just then, I might have considered calling the whole thing off."

Hayate suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me roughly in my seat. "Don't ever give up, Nanoha. Sometimes it takes a whole haystack to find the needle!"

I slightly recoiled, feeling pity for whichever deep and meaningful cliché phrase that had just been mutilated by Hayate's mouth. "That's not -" I started.

Signum entered into the room suddenly, looking slightly winded. "Sorry, had to... jog around... the school. Went out...wrong exit. But... the crow... has taken... the bait."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Okay, what? Why? This phrasing thing you guys are – oh wait a minute how much time **have** you two been spending together lately?" I asked suspiciously.

Hayate blushed furiously and Signum just looked to the side. "Heh, trust me Nanoha, it's not what you think. It's nothing like _that_..." Hayate trailed off.

I pursed my lips, not exactly sure what Hayate thought I thought, since I'm usually not on her certain wavelength anyway. I currently was concerned they were somehow overworking themselves together on this project.

Hayate waved her hands in front of her reassuringly in my direction. "Signum's just been spending time teaching me how to dance lately. It wasn't something I had much experience with before now."

"Oh, I see," I said, feeling a growing sense of guilt.

Hayate, sensing my nervousness that they were pushing themselves too hard for my sake, tried to ease my mind. "Nanoha, I know this started out as your dream, but over the past few months it has become everybody's dream as well, okay? You wanted this because you didn't want to feel lonely anymore, right? Well, part of that is also learning how to not push people away who love you and want to help you succeed."

I suddenly felt the urge to both laugh and cry at myself with Hayate's abrupt and poignant statement. It was true; I was often guilty of over-burdening myself in order to protect others, sometimes risking my own health in the process. I wondered, had I ever inadvertently caused any worry or pain to someone else in a my misguided attempts...?

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door with it opening slowly. "Hello...?"

"Ah Teana-chan, come on in! Have a seat," Hayate offered, pulling out a chair.

"Thank you, Yagami-san," Teana said shyly, standing next to the chair but not sitting down.

"Hmmmm... nope. No, that won't work," Hayate thought out loud. "If you are going to be in the group then we are all on a first name basis. Hayate, Signum, Nanoha. Just like that!"

"Oh, okay then," nodded Teana in agreement. Suddenly her eyes widened and her head shot up. "Wait, in the group? Does that mean...?"

Signum sighed and shook her head. "Hayate gets ahead of herself sometimes. Let's start over. Teana, you can call me Signum. I am currently the adult advisor to the group, and as things progress I'll be the lead choreographer. You have proven yourself as a talented performer on stage today, and we would all be honored if you would join Nanoha and Hayate as a new member of the group."

Teana felt the air suddenly escape from her lungs. "_Were dreams supposed to come true this quickly?_" she thought frantically to herself. "_What do I do?_ _Should I call my mom? Oh god - Am I really going to be performing next to my hero, Nanoha Takamachi?_"

I was starting to get nervous at Teana's lack of response to the invitation that had been extended. "Um Teana-chan, if you need some time to think it over -?" I began.

"NO!" Teana suddenly shouted. "Ah, I mean, no Takam-" Teana suddenly put both hands in front of her in a stopping motion and allowed herself a calming breath. "Nanoha-san, I apologize for just now, I think I was in a state of shock. Please, if you will have me in your group, I promise I will try harder than anyone else. I won't let you down!"

I couldn't help but allow a huge grin to form at Teana's words. "Teana-chan, you have incredible potential and I think you will be a tremendous asset to our team. I can't wait to share the stage with you in the future!" I held out my hand in front of me.

Teana blushed but stood a little taller and, meeting my hand in a firm grip, allowed a bright smile to appear as well. "Thank you Nanoha-san! Thank you so much for this opportunity! And you too Signum, Hayate-san." She bowed slightly to each.

"Yes, yes! This is starting to look up indeed," Hayate said, rubbing her hands together. "Okay you two," pointing at Signum and me, "go find us some more girls! Talented ones, of course. I'll go ahead announce for everyone to come back in from outside. Teana-chan, if you wish to stay here in the booth for the second half, you are more than welcome to."

Teana smiled but politely declined. "I'm sorry, but I promised someone I would be supporting them in the audience just as they were supporting me. Thank you for the offer though."

"No problem." Hayate waved. "Okay you guys, here goes nothing..."

* * *

After we had exited the booth and everyone returned to their seats in the auditorium, Signum and I began the second half of the auditions. The contestants were organized to appear on stage alphabetically by last name, just like the first half of the auditions were.

Teana had been the only contestant with the last name beginning with the letter "L", and sadly the "M's" provided lackluster performances similar to those in the first half of the audition.

"_I hope I'm not going to have to settle for a three person music group_," I thought to myself as the latest contestant left the stage, tapping my pen anxiously on my knee. "_It's not quite what I had in mind._"

"Contestant number 42, Ginga Nakajima!" Signum exclaimed, reading from her list. "Please take center stage after your headset is in place and confirmed working."

I glanced up and noticed one of my longtime classmates and acquaintances, Ginga Nakajima, entering from stage left. I had always found the long-haired 16 year old blunette to be quite intriguing and beautiful in a very natural way.

Today was no exception, as she had dressed casually in designer low-cut denim jeans and a simple black baby-tee that accentuated her slim figure. The clothing combination slightly exposed a well-toned and smooth abdomen.

After the stage hands had secured her wireless headset and ensured it was working properly, Ginga pulled on and removed the black ribbon that had been holding her hair up and out of the way. Her long blue hair cascaded across her back and glistened softly under the stage lights.

"_Mmmm, I bet her hair smells really nice. She's so hired..._" Hayate's wistful and somewhat creepy voice sighed into my earpiece.

I turned around fully in my seat and glared at my friend through the booth window. She placed her hands together in front of her in a playful, apologetic bow as if to ask me not to kill her.

I then turned towards Signum next to me and was completely shocked to find she had her right index finger pointed up in the air, as if in agreement with what Hayate had just said.

"Mutiny..." I whispered, stunned.

Forgetting the sudden hormonal outburst from Hayate, I turned back and smiled at Ginga from my seat. "Hello Ginga-chan! How are you doing today?"

"Hi Nanoha! Oh you know, I'm a little nervous, but excited. I hope I perform well today!"

"I'm sure you will do well," I assured her. "Okay Ginga-chan, why are you interested in auditioning for the school's new group?"

Ginga grasped her hands together behind her back and smiled genuinely. "Honestly, my reason for being here today is to honor the memories and dreams of my parents. They instilled a deep passion for music within me, and I would love nothing more than to be able to carry on their legacy to the rest of the world."

I nodded. "I think I understand. And what song will you be performing for us today?"

"The song '_Huh_' by 4Minute," she replied as Hayate was prompted to start the background music. Ginga smiled, seemingly to herself, as she began to mental prepare to begin her performance.

I sat back in my seat, curious to see just what my classmate was capable of. "_K-Pop, huh? Interesting..._" I mused. I myself must have replayed this insanely catchy Korean song dozens of times on my MP3 player during my morning jogs around campus.

Like Teana's audition, Ginga's performance was as unlike anything we had seen in the previous contestants. Her choreographed movements were crisp and smooth, and her voice was strong and on-key from beginning to end. Halfway through, I even spotted Signum slightly bouncing her head back and forth to the beat, engrossed in her performance.

As the final notes of Ginga's music faded out, I found that I had unconsciously been holding my breath through probably most of it. Whether she had intented it or not, Ginga's audition could have been categorized as borderline sexy and almost erotic. It had nothing to do with her dance steps really, but more to do with her aura itself.

"_I think I need a cigarette_," Hayate stated into my earpiece.

Head down and eyes shaded, I could only slowly and sheepishly raise my left index finger above my head in agreement.

* * *

After we all had recovered from Ginga's audition, we were ready to deal with whatever else the afternoon had to offer us.

"Contestant number 43, Subaru Nakajima! Please come to center stage and get mic'd up," Signum announced, placing a check mark near the next participants name on the list.

A younger, somewhat clumsier version of the previous contestant walked to the center of the stage. She held her arms up over her head so that the stage hands could set up her microphone pack on her belt.

"Ah-ahaha, that kinda tickles," I could hear her saying with a goofy grin to the two girls winding wires around her stomach. I recognized the girl as the one that had been enthusiasticaly cheering for Teana Lanster in the first half of the auditions.

Subaru Nakajima had short, choppy blue hair that tended to fall forward into her eyes randomly. Today she was dressed in tailored black dress pants, a black belt with silver buckle, a white dress shirt buttoned-up (minus the top two buttons), sleeves cuffed at the elbows, and a loosely knotted black tie.

One of the stage hands had was holding a black fedora as Subaru was situating her headset. After it was in place she replaced the hat on her head and gave the brim of her hat a small flick, winking at one of her classmates in the second row.

Signum leaned over and whispered to me, "She certainly has that boyish princely-thing down for sure. Hey Nanoha, check out the crowd."

I turned my head slightly in my seat to look behind me. The atmosphere around the all-female crowd had noticably shifted with Subaru's presence on stage.

Normally the girls would be gossiping and giggling in small groups amongst themselves waiting for the next audition to start. But now, most of the girls had their eyes fixed on their suddenly-handsome classmate on stage. A few waves and blushes projected from the audience towards the stage confirmed what I already knew from my experience on the idol scene: there were no shortage of fans for performers that could pull off Subaru's look.

"_Quite the adorable kid, right?_" Hayate's voice was suddenly in our ears. "_I have a good feeling about this one too, considering how well her sister just did._" I nodded along with Hayate's statement.

"Hello, Subaru-chan," I started. "I'm glad you could make it today! So tell me, what motivates you to audition for the school's new music group?"

Subaru placed a finger to her chin and looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling. Eventually she shrugged and simply stated, "Well, I just want to help people and make others happy!"

I nodded and smiled. "That's good enough for me. So what song will you be performing today?"

"Fiction, by Beast," she proclaimed. Hayate took her cue to start up the music so Subaru could begin her audition.

"_K-Pop again, just like her sister..." _I decided to leave my thoughts there regarding their choices. I was sure I would have many opportunities to see what musical influences these sisters have had in the past. I had suddenly remembered that Beast was a boy band, and I was interested to see how Subaru would handle herself through that type performance.

As Subaru's song progressed through the first verses, I was able to see that she had quite the range of vocal abilities. Not only was she able to stay on-key during the slower singing sections, she was able to perform the spoken lyrics clearly and accurately as well.

It wasn't until the song hit the fast-paced chorus that Subaru completely blew everyone in the auditorium away, though.

"_Oh bloody hell, that girl can dance!_" Hayate exclaimed in our headsets.

Subaru's routine was fast-paced, intense, and awe inspiring. Signum even allowed her normally neutral posture to lean forward in her seat as she carefully study the precise movements of the contestant in front of her.

It was in that very moment that I realized my own reality was about to change drastically. If I were to share the spotlight with others like Teana, Ginga, and Subaru, I had better start making sure my own abilities were on par with, or better than, theirs at all times. I was going to have to work that much harder than ever before to ensure my own rightful place on that stage next to these up-and-coming stars.

"I sure hope your ready, Takamachi," Signum said ominously, still staring forward.

"Nyahaha, I'd better be..."

* * *

As Subaru's performance ended the audience went wild, and school rules forbidding the mobbing of a fellow classmate were immediately forgotten. It wasn't until a flash of red appeared in the middle of the crowd that order was restored. Teana had just about enough of her best friend's sudden popularity, and watching her being fawned over by their peers irritated her to no end.

"Cut it out already, everybody! She's leaving!" And with that, Teana promptly dragged Subaru to the top of the auditorium and out one of the exits.

"Somehow I was expecting that to happen," I stated, watching the door slam behind the two of them as they made their getaway.

"I'll go find both of them later. Ginga too," Signum informed me. "Let's just finish this up for now."

The rest of the audition passed quickly for myself and Signum. Due to incredible nature of the Nakjima sisters' performances, a majority of the participants still scheduled to audition today seemed to realize that they just couldn't compete with that level of talent. In the end, only five more students decided to follow through with their auditions.

As the last contestant left the stage, I stretched my arms above my head and took a deep breath. The event was drawing to a close, and students were beginning to get up from their seats to chat with friends. I was expecting to hear an announcement at any moment from Hayate concluding the audition, maybe thanking everyone for their time and efforts.

I tapped the back of my pen lightly against my cheek. As satisfied as I was to have witnessed the talents of Teana, Ginga, and Subaru today, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was unresolved; or maybe, that we were all somehow missing something...

"Hang on everyone, we have a final last minute audition," Hayate's voice suddenly rang out over the announcement system. The crowd murmured quietly in surprise, but slowly they started returning to their seats.

Frowning, Signum started flipping through her audition list to see who she might have missed. And there, in tiny letters at the very bottom of the last page, Signum could just make out Hayate's writing. She was having trouble deciphering the contestant's name.

"Why did she have to write so...?" She sighed. "Okay, contestant number 49, Fate... T Harlaown?!" Signum's voice raised a slight octave higher in utter surprise at what she had just read.

A collective gasp rang through the auditorium, followed by excited chatter and muffled screams. My head shot up instantly, and I twisted around completely in my seat to look towards the producer's booth. Hayate simply had two thumbs up and a cheesy grin plastered on her face.

"_Surprise!_" was all she said in my headset.

I held up two fingers frantically in the air as if to say "No, no that does **not** make any sense!" Signum, who had also turned around in her seat, simply pointed at my two fingers with her own hand while still looking at Hayate.

"_Don't worry guys, I__'ll explain things later,_" was all she would add, and motioned with a her hand for both of us to turn back around in our seats.

I slowly turned back around in my seat to face the stage in time to see a microphone stand being set up, and a wireless microphone being cradled at the top.

Hayate dimmed the house lights to near black and started the music. In my haze of confusion and shock, I had yet to recognize the notes from the song that was about to be performed.

I could faintly see someone enter from stage left and approach the microphone stand. Even though the music continued to play and was quickly approaching the start of the first lyrics, Hayate had yet to illuminate the figure standing on the stage. She instead opted to bring up the soft stage lights around and behind center stage.

It was then that I recognized the background music that had been playing. It was, despite the fact it was in a language not native to my own, a song that had spoken to me from the first time I had heard it. One so special to my existence that I hadn't told anyone about it's importance, keeping it a secret just for me.

It was the song that reminded me of _her_.

**I don't remember the moment I tried to forget**  
**I lost myself, is it better not said**  
**Now I'm closer to the edge**

Hayate was slowly beginning to fade up the center lights on the performer, who was singing the lyrics in an intoxicatingly husky voice. I was still only able to make out shadows of the silhouette, and traces of blond hair occasionally danced across my eyes.

"_I want to see her,_" was the only thought I allowed myself at the moment.

**It was a thousand to one and a million to two  
Time to go down in flames and I'm taking you  
Closer to the edge **

A flash of red. More hints of gold. It was a slow torture to have her so close and yet she still felt so unobtainable, hidden in the shadows. Before I realized it, I was standing up from my seat, attempting to brace myself for what was to happen in the next few seconds. When Fate would suddenly be thrust into my vision, and come crashing back into my life.

**No I'm not saying I'm sorry  
One day maybe we'll meet again **

The house lights were brought to full illumination. My cobalt eyes clashed with her burgundy in what felt like an electric shock that coursed briefly through my body. She was so much more beautiful than I remembered as a child, or from what I had seen from afar as an young adult.

**No I'm not saying I'm sorry  
One day maybe we'll meet again  
No no no no**

I felt my heart clench as I watched her sing. The sadness, the pain that I always felt threatened to bubble to the surface – it was completely visible in her eyes now, as if it were on display for only me as she poured her soul out in verse.

**Can you imagine a time when the truth ran free?  
The birth of a song, the death of a dream  
Closer to the edge **

I noticed slight tears approach the corners of her eyes after these lyrics, especially when the words 'death of a dream' seemed to almost catch in her throat.

"_I want to comfort her..._" was the next thought I allowed to surface.

**This never ending story  
Paid for with pride and fate  
We all fall short of glory  
Lost innocence **

I sighed at the last verse that held so much weight behind it's words. I envisioned a younger version of Fate every time I heard it - 'lost innocence'. I knew that she had already experienced more hardship than any child ever should when I knew her so many years ago. A pain that she continued to carry on her shoulders as heavy as the world itself.

"_I want to save her,_" was the last thought I allowed to come full circle in my mind.

**No I'm not saying I'm sorry  
One day maybe we'll meet again **

**No I'm not saying I'm sorry  
One day maybe we'll meet again  
No no no no**

As Fate sang the chorus, the collective energy running through the audience steadily grew. The atmosphere in the auditorium vibrated with the solo guitar riffs as the crowd anticipated what was to come next.

**No no no no  
I will never forget**

Fate held out her microphone towards the crowd. The audience loudly accompanied her with next round of lyrics.

**No no  
I will never regret  
No no**

Fate pulled the microphone back to her mouth in time to sing what was the most important line of the song to her.

**I will live my life... **

Fate completed the rest of the song that left the audience cheering on their feet and myself paralyzed to move. She had a smile on her face and seemed to be a little breathless as her red-wine eyes swept over the crowd. They eventually returned to where they had been settled throughout most of the song, staring into mine.

Before I knew it, my body was in motion. I climbed over the two rows of seats in front of me, and pulled myself up onto the stage. I slowly walked towards the figure that had just set the microphone back in it's cradle.

The auditorium had gone from mass hysteria to tense silence once they noticed I had jumped on stage and was standing in front of Fate. I hadn't noticed the sudden change in the auditorium myself, as I was currently lost in a sea of burgundy and gold.

Suddenly, like a magnet drawing myself towards her, I felt compelled to embrace Fate to complete our long-awaited reunion.

Perhaps I surprised her and hugged her too hard, or maybe she was just out of energy from the performance - but unexpectedly we were both toppling over towards the ground together. I ended up on top of Fate as she took the brunt of the fall with a grunt.

"Oh my god Fate-chan, are you okay? Are you hurt?" I pulled back my upper body away from hers and leaned back, still slightly hovering over her.

Fate pulled herself up onto her elbows and closed one eye while considering the damage. "Hmmm... no. No, I think I'm okay. How are you? You're not hurt, are you?" she asked softly.

I pulled Fate into a hug. "No, I'm okay. Nyahaha, I'm sorry you had to break our fall like that. Geez, that is totally like me."

Fate returned the hug and said with a smile, "Yep, it really is." She chuckled softly next to my ear.

I stood up, offering my hand to help her from the floor. "Well then, welcome back to Uminari, Fate-chan!"

She smiled and took my hand into her own. "You're funny. But thank you... Nanoha."

Hayate's voice cut into my earpiece. "_Hey Nanoha, as fun as this for me and the hundred other people watching, could you refrain from accosting our new member of the group like that?_"

I giggled, shook my head, and held up two fingers like a peace sign towards the producer's booth to indicate the answer 'no'.

"_Now that she's back, I'm not ever letting her go again..._" I promised myself.

* * *

**A/N:** AHHHH NanoFate. Just a note on the music, some of you may have noticed the songs referenced are from a few years ago. That's because 1) I just love them; but more importantly 2) Even though I write this in a present tense, the story I have mapped out spans about three years time. Basically someone _could_ read the audition as having occurred sometime in 2010 to 2011, since I'm writing this in 2013. I'll let you make your own judgement on that, though.

Hope to see you next time! Thanks again for everyone's support ~Nissanity~


	3. Chapter 3 - Beginnings

**A/N: **This will be the last build-up chapter before our favorite girls start to live their lives as idols. Lots of familiar faces will be introduced in this chapter and what their roles will be in the story. Thanks to everyone for your reviews and follows/favorites. I appreciate all the wonderful support!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

* * *

******Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 3 – ****Beginnings**

* * *

_**Fate POV**_

I looked down at the smooth white skin of the hand that had intertwined it's fingers with my own. The owner had a gentle yet confident touch as she guided me quickly and silently through hallways, past empty classrooms of what would be my new school, towards an undisclosed destination. Occasionally, she would look back in my direction and smile, as if to assure me not to worry, that she had everything under control.

Trusting in her familiarity with the layout of the buildings, I allowed myself to enjoy the constant flow of warm energy that seemed to run from her hand directly through mine as we glided through the school scenery together.

* * *

___~~Flashback, Five Minutes Prior~~_

I had just finished my audition for Uminari Academy's new all-girl music group when I, within seconds, had found myself beneath the body of my former classmate and now famous idol, Nanoha Takamachi. She had apologized for causing our tumble, hugged me, and then stood and extended her hand to assist me from the floor.

Initially, when her hand embraced mine, I felt a sensation shoot through me unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life. It began at our hands, traveled through my wrist, and eventually coursed it's way into my forearm and faded just above my elbow. It felt like electricity circuiting directly below my skin, fleshing out a wave of goosebumps up the length of most of my arm.

My attention to the sensation was short-lived however, as the metaphorical bubble enclosing myself with Nanoha in our own private world burst, and reality was ready to intervene once again. Suddenly I was aware of female students, many of them, surrounding me and Nanoha on stage, each vying desperately for our attention.

Being in the middle of a scene like this was one I was all too familiar with, although I usually have staff to assist me out of these predicaments. Unfortunately, I had asked my two personal bodyguards, Zafira and Vita, to remain outside the perimeter of the auditorium in case any paparazzi had somehow discovered my audition plans. The last thing I needed was my fans to learn that I was about to completely change my professional career around before it was officially announced.

A pink-haired woman with a seemingly gruff demeanor had forced her way through the crowd and made it to Nanoha and me in the center of it. "Takamachi, get her out of here! It's too dangerous!"

With a firm nod and a flash of determination in her eyes, I felt Nanoha's body shift as she strengthened her grip on our still clasped hands. I almost immediately felt myself being pulled towards the back of the stage as Nanoha cleared a path for both of us through the crowd of people.

We entered the wing, stage-left, and continued our journey at a fast past. It was poorly lit, but Nanoha seemed familiar with all the twists and intricacies of the backstage area. At one junction where our hallway met up with another, I felt Nanoha signal me to stop and we both pressed our backs against the nearest wall, taking cover in the shadows. I heard two girls running through the opposite hallway, probably in an attempt to find us. Thankfully, they ran through the intersection without noticing our presence.

Nanoha turned towards me, her face just inches away from mine. "I have the perfect place for us to hide, we just have to make it there without getting caught," she said quietly, half breathless. She searched my eyes, seeming to seek an answer as to whether I would allow her to protect me or not.

_"____She used to look at me just like that often when we were kids...__" _I thought while examining her eyes in return. I could never allow her to help me before due to the situation I was in as a child, but things were different now. I no longer had to push away the first person that had ever extended her hand in kindness towards me.

I nodded, not breaking eye contact with her. "Okay, let's go then. I trust you," I responded quietly.

I watched Nanoha intake a sharp breath as her sapphire eyes danced in excitement. She then grinned, gave a quick "okay!" and turned back towards the task at hand.

Confident that no one was in our immediate area backstage, we spotted an exit and quickly made our way to the door. Within no time we had pushed through it and were running through a deserted hallway in the school.

As we rounded a corner near a row of lockers, she looked back at me and gave a gentle smile. I then watched her slowly intertwine our fingers together in what felt like a completely natural movement between the two of us. The sensation of energy in my arm intensified between each of our entangled digits.

"Not much farther now," she assured me.

_~~End Flashback~~_

* * *

Nanoha guided me around one final corner and into a hallway that appeared to come to a dead end. I noticed a maintenance closet to my left, a set of restrooms and water fountain to my right, and a plain door secured with a deadbolt lock against the opposite wall.

As we slowed our pace, Nanoha released my hand as she fumbled through her pockets and approached the locked door. All warm sensations I had been enjoying with our connection were immediately severed, and my hand was left cold and empty - it was a feeling I did not enjoy at all.

I heard the instinctive click of a deadbolt being turned, and Nanoha opened the plain door to reveal a staircase beyond. She motioned me to follow her, and soon she and I were silently ascending the three-flights of concrete staircase together. We were greeted with yet another door at the top of the last set of steps. Nanoha wasted no time in running ahead of me and bursting through it into a sea of white from my angle.

As I followed her through the door, the temporary blinding light was slowly replaced with clear blue sky above me. She had led me onto the roof of the school. Nanoha held her arms outstretched and spun around once with her eyes closed, seemingly enjoying the closeness she felt with the sky above her. Grinning, she then ran to the railing that was along the edge of the roof and leaned against it eagerly. I soon joined her to her left and was surprised to see a full view of Uminari City below us.

"Hmmmm, this feels a bit surreal," Nanoha started after a moment. Elbow still leaned atop the railing, Nanoha lifted her right arm and rested her chin on her palm. "Ten minutes ago you were somebody that I used to know as a kid. And now..."

I remained silent for a moment, only because I wasn't quite sure how to help her complete her last sentence.

"Nanoha..." I finally began.

"You're an incredible singer, Fate-chan," she continued. "I- I would love nothing more than to have you be next to me on stage. As long as I knew you were serious about it, of course." She suddenly frowned and puffed out her cheeks with a pout. "This isn't some weird publicity stunt for you or something, is it?"

I smiled and allowed a small laugh to escape my lips. "No, Nanoha, it's not." I turned my back to the railing to lean against it, resting one elbow on the top bar and raising my free arm towards the sky, imagining that somehow I should be able to physically touch the clear blue that surrounded my hand.

"I know a lot has time has passed since we last saw each other," I continued, "and at some point I'll be able to explain everything that has happened in my life that led me here today. But for now, just know that I am positive this is where I'm supposed to be. It's something I need to do." ___With you__, _I added silently to myself.

Nanoha was staring at me with an unreadable expression. After a few seconds of silence I realized I may have been too forward. "Ah, wait!" I said standing straight up, putting my hands in front of me. "That's only, you know, it's only if you want me!... Well, I mean, not _want_ me...but if you want me to..." I stopped, bowed my head, and decided not to continue. I could feel myself blushing furiously and didn't want to make things any worse for myself.

Nanoha removed her elbows from the railing and turned to face me directly. She took my chin in between her right thumb and index finger and raised my head slightly to meet my eyes.

"Nyahaha, I like that Fate-chan. I'm glad to see that you still get nervous, just like I remember," she said. Slowly she turned her hand and cradled my chin in her palm, running her thumb over my flushed cheek. "Of course I want you in the group, silly."

"Nano-ha..." I could barely speak, shocked at the sensation her thumb's movement had caused, like a streak of electricity had just burned in it's wake. I started to slowly raise my hand to touch hers with my fingertips, when suddenly loud music came blasting across our reality.

Nanoha broke contact and fumbled through her jean pockets for what I assumed was her cellphone. I still had my hand mid-air, but with her touch gone I was again left with a cold and empty feeling where her skin had once been in contact with mine.

"Hayate!" I heard her say cheerfully into the phone. A few seconds pause while the person on the other end spoke. "Yeah, we're fine. That was crazy, right?" she said, laughing.

Another pause. I faced the railing and leaned against it, enjoying the sight of the city where I once lived in front of me. It almost felt nostalgic.

"Oh okay, we'll be there as soon as we can," Nanoha finished and then closed her phone.

I glanced at her. "The school administrator has set up a meeting to start in 10 minutes, so we need to go," she informed me. She extended her hand out towards me once again, and I happily accepted it into my own.

"Okay Nanoha, lead the way," I said with a smile.

* * *

**Nanoha POV**

We had just rounded the corner near the administrator's office when Fate and I were greeted by two official looking people in black suits and ties, badges and white earpieces as accessories to complete the package, standing just outside of the door.

I almost had to laugh at the mismatched pairing - one was a very tall and muscular blue-haired male, and the other a very short female with fiery red hair and intense blue eyes to match. Something about the demeanor of the woman told me that any attempt at humor would not be welcomed at the moment.

"Fate!" she exclaimed, storming over to us when she saw us enter from the other hallway. "Where the hell were you?"

Fate and I stopped when the grumbling woman blocked our path. "Sorry Vita, we just had a crowd swarm us is all. Nanoha got me out just in time, though." I felt Fate give my hand a little squeeze, which caused my heart to skip a beat. I could feel my cheeks blush a little with the small show of affection.

Vita eyed me up and down, and then crossed her arms stubbornly. "Geez, Fate. I almost had to call for backup. You're not allowed to make any more security decisions, you got that?" she huffed.

Fate nodded and bowed slightly. "I apologize Vita, next time I promise I will be more careful."

"You'd better be..." I heard Vita scold under her breath as we walked past her towards the administrator's door.

As Fate and I passed the other bodyguard I heard her apologize quickly to a "Zafira", to which she received a grunt in return. He didn't seem upset like Vita, though. In fact, it may have been one of the more endearing grunts I had heard anyone utter in quite some time.

As we entered the room, I was greeted with mostly familiar faces and a few new ones. It looked like this was going to be a busy meeting with a lot of important people involved.

I spotted Hayate standing next to Signum in a corner of the room as Fate and I made our way over to them. Hayate had a playful look in her eyes and I instantly became suspicious.

"You owe me twenty bucks," I heard Hayate announce as she turned towards Signum.

Signum rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air, but complied by reaching into her pocket and pulling out a few bills. Hayate grinned while happily pulling the money out of Signum's hand and began counting it.

"What was that about?" I asked, even though I knew it most likely involved me and I probably was not going to enjoy the answer.

"Oh nothing much. I just bet Signum that by the time you got here to the meeting, you two would have already claimed each other as your own."

"_What is she..._" I began to wonder, but then I suddenly realized I still had my hand comfortably intertwined with Fate's and we had walked into the meeting like that in front of everybody. We immediately separated our hands, embarrassed.

Signum shrugged. "I figured it would take at least a few days. I apparently don't know you as well as I thought, Takamachi."

"Geez, you guys! It's not like-" I began.

"Alright everyone, let's take our seats and get started!" announced the school administrator, interrupting my conversation with my friends. I was grateful for the end of the exchange with them; there was a good chance I would only escalate the embarrassment for Fate and I further if tried to explain anything more at that moment.

Before we sat down, Fated walked across the room towards an older woman with long teal hair in a white and blue business suit. The woman looked familiar to me, although I was having trouble placing her in my memory. I watched Fate say something and point in my direction, and woman smiled and nodded. They both walked towards me, and together Fate and I sat down at the table next to each other with the teal-haired taking the seat to Fate's left.

As everyone settled in, the administrator began to speak. "Hello everyone. I'm familiar with most of you here but in case we haven't met formally, my name is Carim Garcia and I am the administrator for Uminari Academy. Everyone may address me as Carim in the future, please.

"This meeting is going to be pretty long and extensive," the blond-haired woman continued, "so make sure you are comfortable. I understand if you have to take a step outside to make a phone call or reply to a text message throughout the meeting, but please set you cellphones to vibrate to avoid interruptions."

As everyone was complying with the administrator's request to silence their phones, I decided to give a brief glance around the room. I was seated in the first chair of the long rectangular conference table on Carim's left, who was sitting at the head of the table.

Hayate was seated directly across from me and, after glancing between me and Fate, decided to give me a very cheeky, open-mouthed wink. I rewarded her with a quick kick to her shin. Signum was seated to her right, looking perplexed at Hayate who had suddenly and inexplicably jumped in reflexed pain.

Beside Signum was Teana and Subaru, both looking down at the blue-haired girl's cellphone. Subaru had a confused scowl on her face, to which Teana rolled her eyes and yanked the phone out of her friend's hand. She then demonstrated to her clueless friend how to set the phone to vibrate.

Ginga was seated next to Subaru, simply laughing at Teana and her sister's interaction. I was sure that she was more than accustomed to the antics between those two.

At the rear of the table sat a blond-haired woman with whom I was unfamiliar with. She had short hair, blue eyes, and she emitted a gentle aura. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a genuine smile. I was fond of her presence immediately.

Seated to her right respectively were Alisa Bannings and Suzuka Tsukimura, two of my closest friends at school and lead members of the Music Theory Club at Uminari Academy. Alisa and Suzuka had a direct hand in creating many of the songs I had performed during my solo music career these past two years, as well as providing enormous amounts of support and love throughout my journey.

To Suzuka's right was Fate's teal-haired companion. She had helped herself to a cup of tea from one of the service trays in the middle of the conference table, and I observed her adding more than a few cubes of sugar to it. "_We all have our quirks..._" I thought.

Situated between her and I was Fate, who had noticed me watching the actions of the woman next to her. She just smiled as if she were used to the display. Our eyes eventually made contact, and I felt myself start to get lost in those burgundy depths yet again...

"Okay, now that that is taking care of," Carim began, breaking the trance I was just about to enter, "I would like to be serious for a moment with the six girls who are now members of the new group that Uminari Academy has formed." We all gave her our full attention.

"This is your last chance to change your mind and walk out that door. Once you officially agree to becoming a member, your life will be changing drastically, starting immediately after this meeting. Every moment of your life will basically be scheduled for you. You must be steadfast in your resolve to do this, because your fellow members are going to be counting on your full dedication from here on out. Is this understood?"

The six of us all nodded our heads firmly in agreement. I already had an idea of the hard work and sleepless nights that were awaiting me in the future, as I'm sure Fate did as well. I could only hope that Hayate, Ginga, Subaru, and Teana were prepared for the hard journey we were all about to embark on together.

"Alright then," Carim said. "Everyone's parents and guardians have already been contacted, and our legal department is preparing and faxing the contracts to them as we speak for them to sign. Lindy, we will have your copy ready to sign for Fate after the meeting."

"That's fine," the teal-haired woman replied. "I also had my attorneys review and return the other agreement that you had sent me earlier this week."

"Excellent! Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Lindy Harlaown, Fate's guardian and now officially the group's new manager," Carim announced.

Lindy waved. "It's nice to meet everyone. Hayate, it's great to finally meet you in person!"

"You too, Lindy-san!" Hayate beamed.

I felt my eyes narrow suspiciously at my friend across the table. "Wait a minute, Hayate. What exactly does she mean?"

"Well, I knew the group was going to need a manager so I decided to start with the best," she explained. "I asked Carim-san to contact the agency that represents T.S.A.B., and they put her in touch with their manager, Lindy-san."

"That's right," Lindy continued. "At first Carim was just looking for a reference I think, but I decided I would offer my services instead. This just sounded like too much fun to pass up!"

Suddenly it clicked in my mind where I had encountered Lindy Harlaown before. About a year and a half ago, I was offered the opportunity to be the opening act at a charity concert that T.S.A.B. was holding. They were, and still continue to be, one of the hottest boy bands around.

After that concert my status as an up-and-coming idol exploded into full blown stardom overnight, although that had less to do with my abilities as a performer and more to do with the media's knack to create a scandal out of thin air.

"Ah, now I remember where we have met before!" I laughed. "So how is my '___boyfriend'_ doing?" I asked her, using air quotes around the word 'boyfriend'.

Lindy laughed in return. "Oh he's fine. Yuuno told me to tell his '___girlfriend'_ hello, in fact." She used air quotes as well around the term 'girlfriend'.

"Word of advice to everyone," I said, turning towards the fellow members of my group, "never hug a boy in front of a packed stadium at a concert, or the media will have a field day trying to guess your wedding date for weeks on end."

I hadn't realize it, but Fate was attempting to hide a scowl that had crept onto her face while Lindy and I were discussing that situation. Chrono Harlaown was Lindy's son, and the center member of T.S.A.B., the boy band Lindy managed. Yuuno Scrya was also a member of the group, and after the scandal involving me, Fate couldn't help but feel pissed off every time she saw his face or heard his name.

I had another revelation and I turned back to Hayate. "So wait, you must have known about Lindy and Fate's involvement in the new group for months then. You were able to keep it a secret this entire time?" I asked incredulously.

Hayate put her hand behind her head and rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding eye contact with me. "Yeah, can you imagine how hard that was for me? I thought I was going to die."

"I'm really surprised you could, honestly. Why didn't you just tell me from the beginning?" I asked.

Hayate scoffed. "And miss yours and Signum's expressions at the auditions? No way! I mean, look at your faces." Hayate pulled out her cellphone and clicked the power button. She first pointed the screen in my direction, and then at Signum. The wallpaper on her cellphone showed the two of us in the auditorium during auditions, turned completely around in our seats and looking at a point above the camera with nothing but shock written on our faces. I realized it was the moment that she and I had just discovered that Fate was about to audition.

"W-where did you get this picture?" I stammered.

She shrugged. "I hired someone to take it."

Signum yanked the phone out of Hayate's hand. "You can't have this back until you return my twenty dollars. It's only fair."

Hayate narrowed her eyes and paused, debating internally. "Ten," she finally bargained. "I still have to cover the cost of the picture."

Signum grunted in agreement. Hayate reached into her pocket and sadly slid ten dollars across the table, which Signum accepted back and pocketed.

"Nanoha," Fate quietly said, getting my attention. "I asked Hayate not to tell you about Lindy's new position. I wanted to make sure her managing the group didn't give me an unfair advantage with my audition."

"Not that that was ever was an issue really," Carim interrupted. "As most of you know, this academy is founded and sponsored by Uminari Productions. Nanoha has already been in contract with them for a little over two years now, and the rest of you will all be signed with them today as well. The production company had been trying desperately to get you back into the academy for years now, Fate. They were more than thrilled to hear of your audition."

Fate nodded her head but looked down at the table. "I appreciate that, Carim-san, I do. Honestly though, I wanted to make sure I had earned my right to be here with everyone else was all."

"Fate," Ginga's voice softly entered the conversation. "You should know that you are an incredibly talented performer. You _have_ earned the right, and I am so honored that I will be able to perform on the stage next to you."

Teana was next to speak. "That's right Fate, you are absolutely incredible at what you do. I can't wait to be able to work with you either."

Subaru laughed and threw her hands up clumsily towards Fate. "I can't believe you don't even realize how talented you are!"

Hayate was the last to speak. "I know right? It's like a contest between her and Nanoha to see who can be the most humble about their talents, I swear."

I turned to Fate and saw that her eyes were wide as she stared at the table, slight tears forming at the edges of them. I guessed that she wasn't expecting such an outpouring of support from those around the table like that. Truthfully, I was a bit choked up myself with the sentiment that my fellow members expressed so openly.

I grasped Fate's hand under the table, intertwining our fingers again, as a way of showing support for her as well. She quickly faced me, and with a smile squeezed my hand in return.

"Okay, moving on," Carim patiently started again, "the woman directly across from me is Shamal Wolken. She is the group's new medical adviser and will be accompanying you all from here on out. When, and I do emphasize the word _when_, you injure yourself during practice or in a performance, you will be going directly to her with your medical related issues."

Shamal bowed her head. "It's nice to meet everyone, I look forward in being of assistance in any way I can." She then raised up, giving a brief glance and small smile towards the end of the table opposite of me.

I slowly turned my head to follow her line of vision, and did a double-take as I saw Signum nod her head gently in return with a slight blush on her face. I glanced at Hayate, realizing that she most likely had not noticed the change in her cousin's demeanor.

_"____Oh thank god__,"_ I thought. I wasn't sure I was prepared for the onslaught of teasing that would have occurred if Hayate had witnessed that little interaction.

"Next to Shamal is Alisa Bannings and Suzuka Tsukimura, president and vice president of the Music Theory Club here at school. They are here to discuss their club's partnership with the group."

"Thank you, Carim-san," Suzuka's calm voice began. "Our club has been working closely with Nanoha for almost two years now and has provided many of the songs she currently performs. Uminari Productions has requested our club's assistance again with the creation of songs for the new group."

Alisa leaned back in her chair and locked her fingers behind her head. "That's right. We busted our asses and came up with six new songs so far for you guys."

Suzuka held up the papers she had in front of her on the table and turned them so that we could all see. I noticed what looked like sheet music. "These are the new compositions. We will be providing you each with copies of them - as soon as we address one issue, that is."

"We need to know who the center girl is going to be," Arisa stated flatly. She now had one eye closed and, in a side glance, was looking towards my direction intently.

"NO CENTER!" I immediately interjected. Everyone jumped a little at my unexpected outburst.

I instinctively knew that I would mostly likely be picked as center member if that was the route we took. "What I mean is, I don't think we should have a specific center member. I think it's important that we all are equal on stage, and take turns being the main vocals on the songs. It's just my opinion though, really," I added.

I heard a_ "____damnit__" _come from behind me. I turned around and noticed Carim reaching under the table near her feet. When she raised back up, she had her purse in both of her hands. She placed it on her lap and unzipped the main compartment, retrieving her wallet from inside. Hayate extended her hand towards Carim, palm up, and I watched as Carim pulled a crisp twenty dollar bill out and laid it flat atop Hayate's hand.

"Now what?" I groaned.

Hayate folded the bill and slipped it in her pocket. "I bet Carim that you wouldn't want to be center, and that you would say exactly what you just did about the issue. She thought that your natural instinct to lead would make you want to accept the position."

"Geez, stop making money off my tendencies, Hayate!" I pouted.

"Regardless, Nanoha, I still need you to set the example during practices and with day-to-day living. The girls are going to be counting on your experience to lead them in this, okay?" Carim raised her eyebrows towards me.

"Of course!" I cheerfully agreed.

Alisa suddenly turned towards Teana. "Don't think your new status is going to get you out of helping the club in the future, by the way. We still expect you to contribute to the group, you know."

Teana quickly looked at the table surface with an embarrassed blush across her cheeks but didn't say anything in response.

Suzuka turned towards me. "Nanoha, I'm sure Teana didn't mention this to you before, but she wrote almost all the lyrics to your songs these past few years."

I felt grateful tears gather in my eyes with the sudden revelation. I turned to face Teana across the table. Her face had turned an even darker shade of red as she felt my gaze fall on her. "Teana-chan..." I said emotionally.

Hayate sighed loudly. "I swear, is there anyone in this group that doesn't suffer from a severe case of humility?"

"Well, I am fully aware of my assets, ___Hayate-chan__," _Ginga playfully sang out her new friend's name.

I watched Hayate bite her bottom lip and let out a whimper as she slowly turned to face Ginga. A silent contest between her and Ginga had suddenly begun. It was a test to see if Hayate could resist looking down at Ginga's 'assets' after such a statement.

After a valiant attempt lasting nearly three seconds, Hayate lost the battle of wills. Ginga simply giggled at her conquest.

"So this has been bugging me, but does our group have a name yet?" Subaru asked out of the blue.

Suzuka was the first to answer. "The Music Theory club will be holding a contest starting tomorrow to come up with group's name. Students will have a month to enter their suggestions, and then you guys will decide on the winner. It will be announced on the 25th of next month."

"What happens on the 25th?" Fate asked.

"It's the date of the group's first concert," Carim answered. "Well, mini-concert. The group will be performing the six songs Suzuka mentioned earlier in the school auditorium for the students. The concert will be recorded, and the videos will be used to promote your first official public concert, which will take place exactly three months from today."

The door to the room suddenly opened and Linith, the school's head manager, entered and made a beeline for Carim. Linith bent down and whispered something in Carim's ear, and then passed a piece of paper towards her. Carim nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' to her.

"Everyone, you all know Linith – well, with the exception of Shamal, Lindy, and Fate I believe. Linith, meet Shamal," Carim gestured across the table. "She is the group's new medical advisor. Fate, who is sitting next to Nanoha, is our newest member. And Lindy," she pointed to the teal-haired woman. "is the new manager of the group."

Linith rushed over to Lindy's side. "It's so good to meet you. Thank you so much for accepting the position!" she excitedly said.

"Why thank you!" Lindy replied. "I was curious that they were seeking a manager for this group, honestly, I thought that maybe you would be -"

"Oh god no!" Linith interrupted. "I have enough on my plate as it is." She turned towards me. "Nanoha, sweetie, I love you to death but your schedule was killing me."

I could only smile bitter-sweetly at her statement in return. Linith was one of the best in the industry at her job, which meant I had had very little free time in the past few years due to her ability to jam-pack my schedule with events.

"That reminds me," Hayate said. "How are you going to juggle both our group and T.S.A.B., Lindy-san?"

"Oh, I quit as their manager," Lindy replied non-nonchalantly with a wave. "Chrono put up such a fuss with his mother 'abandoning' him as he put it, but now he seems quite content with my replacement from the agency. Her name is Amy, and she is a very nice woman indeed."

I heard a paper rustle to my right. "So Linith was just informing me that living arrangements have been finalized for everyone," Carim announced. "Remember my statement that things are going to change drastically for everyone? Well, here goes:

Two blocks from the academy is Uminari Towers, an apartment building that is currently owned and managed by Uminari Productions. The top floor has just been renovated and is on reserve for the group. There are a total of ten fully furnished apartments for all the members and staff, so almost everyone will end up with a roommate. After this meeting, you all will be returning to your homes to start packing your personal belongings. Tomorrow movers will be at each of your houses at 8AM sharp, so you better be ready to go when they arrive."

"So fast!" Subaru exclaimed.

"Yes indeed, Subaru," Carim agreed. "Regarding school, as you know we just entered the six-week break for summer, so you will be focused completely on rehearsals during this time. School returns on the 25th of next month, hence the date of your mini-concert. It will occur on the first day the students return from their break. Once school returns to session, you will be attending classes together as a group from here on out. You will be in a separate classroom in a private wing of the building, with a modified break schedule from the rest of the students."

"It seems like we are being distanced from the rest of the academy?" I mused aloud.

Carim's face looked apologetic. "I'm sorry Nanoha, but that will be true. The academy was able to keep chaos to a minimum when it was just you we had to protect. But with six idols running around, we wouldn't be able monitor everyone's safety at all times."

"I assume security has already been set up for the girls?" Lindy asked.

"Yes, we finished negotiations a few days ago with the same company you have been using for Fate. Zafira and Vita will be joined by four more members from Scaglietti Enterprises after this meeting. From this moment on, the girls are not allowed to be in public without a least two bodyguards present."

"Wow, that seems..." Teana began, but couldn't seem to complete her thought.

"I understand that all of this is coming as a huge shock to everyone," Carim said, and then glanced at her watch. "It's seven o'clock now, which means the school's press secretary is making an announcement to the media as we speak regarding the results of the audition. So congratulations, you four" she said while pointing to Hayate, Teana, Subaru, and Ginga in succession, "are now just about as famous as Nanoha and Fate."

"Seriously?!" Ginga exclaimed.

"Dead serious. So tomorrow, after you have moved your belongings into your new apartments, we have photo shoot scheduled at noon for the next press release. Afterward, everyone will attend vocal coaching for the new songs, and then Signum will be leading your first choreography session tomorrow evening."

Linith's phone vibrated and she stepped to the back of the room to answer it. "Okay, good, you can send them in," I heard her say quickly.

A few seconds after she ended her call, the door opened and two women I did not recognize entered the room.

Fate smiled at them from from her seat, and then stood up and gave them both hugs. "Arf! Reinforce! You guys have been assigned to the group?"

The orange-haired woman beamed. "Fate-chan! Yeah, the company sent us over to meet everyone."

"Everybody, this is Arf and Reinforce," Linith announced. "They are the group's new fashion and makeup artists. They will be assigned to one of the apartments to stay with the group as well."

"We were a little shocked when we first found out," the white-haired woman admitted to the group, "but we are really excited to work with you all!"

Subaru slowly put her head on the table. "This is so much take in at once," she said with pain in her voice.

Carim gave us all a sympathetic smile. "Welcome to your new life, everybody."

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys, so how is it so far? Also, if you have any suggestions for Japanese pop songs you think would fit in with the story, feel free to leave it a review or send me a PM. I am always excited to explore new music!

See you again next time! =^..^= ~Nissanity~


	4. Chapter 4 - Trials and Tribulations

**A/N: **This originally started out as just one chapter, but I decided it break it up into two since I felt like I was covering a lot of ground in them (not that that is a bad thing, of course). I had an incredible amount of fun writing this chapter and the next one coming up. I hope you enjoy them as well!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

* * *

******Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 4 – **___**Trials and Tribulations**_

* * *

**Nanoha POV**

The meeting ended a little after ten o'clock that evening. We painstakingly went over the details regarding our new living arrangements, wardrobe measurements, dietary plans, exercise schedules, and other variables that would be factors in our new lives.

When we were finally dismissed for the day, Lindy offered to give me a ride back to my house, which I eagerly accepted since it meant a little more time with Fate that night.

"Zafira is pulling the car around now," Vita told us as we stood around the corner from the doors of the front entrance. "The paparazzi is out in full force tonight and looking specifically for you two. Just keep your head down and your legs closed when you get into the SUV, got it?"

"_Pffftt_," I accidentally let escape from my mouth at her comment. Vita turned to me with a glare, but before she could add anything Zafira had pulled the SUV to the curb and was walking back towards the entrance.

"Alright, go!" Vita said, quickly leaving our post and walking as fast as her little legs would allow towards the front doors. I watched Fate pull the hoodie of her black sweater up over her hair, duck her head, and follow Vita around the corner.

"Nanoha, I'll be right behind you," Lindy said to me and gently pushed the small of my back, urging me forward. I followed the same path Fate and Vita had taken and moved as quickly as I could to catch up with them. I grabbed the bottom of the back of Fate's sweater so that I wouldn't be separated for her in the upcoming shuffle. Feeling the tug on her clothing, Fate turned her head slightly behind her and, peeking her eyes around the edge of her hoodie, smiled at me in reassurance.

Once we pushed open the front doors, we were greeted with bright camera flashes and an eruption of questions simultaneously thrown at us at a frenzied pace. Although I had experienced this hundreds of times at this point in my career, it was always as physically and emotionally jarring as the first time I had been through it.

_"Fate, why did you give up modeling?"_

_"Nanoha, any comment on the girls you selected?"_

_"Does the group have a name yet?"_

_"How long have you been singing, Fate?"_

Vita and Zafira pushed cameramen and reporters out of our path as we made our way to the SUV. "The girls have no comment at this time," Lindy's voice rang out loudly from behind me.

Eventually we made it to the open doors of the SUV. Zafira escorted Lindy to the front passenger side of the vehicle before returning to the driver's seat, slamming his door shut. Vita had taken the rear position in Lindy's absence and pushed Fate and myself into the backseat. Upon entering the SUV, I remembered Vita's now brilliant advice and kept my legs closed, since I was in a skirt that evening. I slid to the center of the backseat next to Fate, and Vita followed us into the SUV, closing the door quickly behind her.

"Geez, why were there so many here tonight? I've never had to deal with paparazzi at the school before," I said breathlessly, my nerves still on edge. I could still see residual flashes from the cameras every time I blinked.

Lindy was looking out the front windshield as Zafira started to pull away. "Well, Nanoha, it's – OH MY GOD, that was close!" Lindy suddenly exclaimed. A cameraman had narrowly avoided being run over by our SUV as we were making our exit. "I swear they do that on purpose sometimes," she sighed, exasperated.

I exhaled and attempted to calm down by leaning forward to place my head in my hands. I always found it best to try to regulate my breathing in order slow the frantic beating of my heart, which was currently pulsating in my ears.

Suddenly I felt a warm hand come to rest in the middle of my back. It began to rub small circles in a comforting manner. "Nanoha, are you okay?" a husky voice asked softly from my right.

My eyes shot open and my breath caught in my throat. "_So much for controlling my breathing and heart rate..._" I thought ironically.

I sat up a little and gave Fate the most reassured smile I could muster at the moment. "Yes, thank you Fate, I'm okay now." I place my hand on her thigh just above her knee in a show of comfort towards her as well. Even though it was dark inside the SUV, I could still make out the dark blush that had made its way to her face.

"The academy had warned us before we left the meeting that they were allowing the press to hang around the campus tonight," Vita began.

"Yes, since this became such big news with Fate joining the group," Lindy added, "they figured they would make a one-time exception. They are still a business, and publicity is publicity."

I just nodded; I understood completely. I turned my thoughts to the other members of the group, hoping they were okay after their first media frenzy. Lindy asked me for the address to my house and quickly entered it into the vehicle's GPS system. The rest of the ride was made in comfortable silence, minus the automated voice coming from the console, instructing the driver when to turn left and right.

When we finally pulled into the driveway of my address, I noticed the lights were still on in the home above the bakery my parents ran, indicating my family was still awake and awaiting my arrival. I knew that I had very little time to spend with them before I would have to begin collecting my things into boxes. The thought of not seeing them daily broke my heart a little, but I knew they would be understanding and supportive as always.

Once stopped, Fate opened her door and exited, allowing me to slide out of the vehicle behind her. Once I was standing outside next to her, I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from her current position. This allowed me room to shut the car door briefly, giving us a bit of privacy from the vehicle's occupants.

Without warning I hugged her, winding my arms around her neck and resting my head against her chest. She seemed paralyzed by my actions at first, but then I felt her arms wrap slowly around my waist as she pulled me into a tighter embrace.

We remained in that position for about twenty seconds before I suddenly pulled back to face her. I leaned up and kissed her quickly on the cheek, and then completely removed myself from her embrace and ran silently towards my home. It wasn't until I reached the front porch that I turned around and gave her, and the occupants of the vehicle who were looking at me through the car windows, a wave goodbye. They all returned the wave except for Fate, whose hand was currently touching the spot on her cheek where my lips had briefly met her skin.

Fumbling for my keys, I eventually unlocked the front door to my home and entered, shutting the door behind me. I leaned my back against it and unconsciously raised my fingertips to touch my mouth.

"_Did I just...?_" I asked myself in a daze, unable to comprehend my own actions just now.

**Fate POV**

"_Did she just...?_" was the only incomplete thought my brain had on repeat.

I didn't remember getting back into the SUV, nor did I realize the fact that we were driving again.

Vita grunted. "What was that all about?" she asked, scowling in my direction with her arms crossed.

"Now Vita, you leave her be," Lindy interjected. "She probably couldn't speak right now even if she tried."

We continued our journey back to our home. My mind was eventually able to switch gears away from Nanoha and to the task ahead of us that evening. I had precious little to pack in terms of personal belongings myself, but I knew there was still plenty of things that would need to be accomplished before 8AM tomorrow.

Lindy's phone suddenly beeped, indicating that she had just received a new text message. Her face was illuminated by a soft glow as she opened her cellphone and read the message she had just received.

"I see," she finally hummed to herself, amused. She turned around in her seat and faced the cellphone screen in my direction.

"Well then Fate, whatever shall we do with this message I just received from Hayate, I wonder...?" she asked with a playful grin.

* * *

_~~Flashback, 30 Minutes Prior~~_

**Third Person POV**

Hayate and Ginga found themselves waiting together in the school administrator's office, still seated at the conference table, suffocating in an awkward silence. They had been told by Vita to wait in the room while their new bodyguards assigned to them arrived to escort them out of the building.

"Don't you go anywhere without them, you got that?" Vita growled before she and Zafira left the academy to take Fate, Nanoha, and Lindy home.

After five minutes of unbearable tension, Hayate couldn't take it anymore. She stood up from the table, grabbed her backpack, and started walking towards the door. "I think I'm going to go wait for them outside," she said casually to Ginga, hand on the doorknob.

Ginga looked at Hayate standing near the doorway, contemplating whether it was a good idea or not to leave the room. She figured it probably wasn't, but there was not a chance in hell she was going to be left in the office that late at night by herself.

She stood up while still staring at Hayate, flicked her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you just going to leave me here to fend for myself, then?" she asked playfully.

"Well... yeah, I am actually," Hayate teased in return. "See the thing is, you are _terribly_ out of shape and I'm afraid you would just slow me down if we got caught in a bad situation."

Ginga immediately grabbed her backpack and nearly jumped over the table. "Oh, you are soooo going to pay for that, Hayate Yagami!" she threatened, laughing. Hayate screeched and flew out the door, quickly running down the hallway with Ginga closing in on her fast.

Hayate made it to the front entrance of the school and hurriedly exited the left side of the double doors. She immediately turned and slammed it behind her, pressing her body into it in an attempt to keep Ginga from being able to come through it. Hayate closed her eyes, anticipating that Ginga would soon start pushing on the door at any moment.

Ginga, on the other hand, saw her opportunity and immediately ran through the unobstructed door to the right.

"Oh, CRAP!" Hayate's eyes flew open when she realized her blunder.

Ginga laughed while slowly approaching Hayate's cowering form. "Ah, you're kind of dumb, it seems," she said mockingly.

Before Hayate could try to defend herself from the girl poised to pounce on her, they both heard the shuffling of many feet nearby, and then their world explode in a sea of light and noise around them.

_"Is that Hayate and Ginga?!"_

_"How does it feel to be in the same group as Nanoha?"_

_"Any comment about Fate leaving the modeling world to become a singer?"_

Hayate and Ginga immediately turned back to the double doors behind them in an attempt to retreat from the cameras and questions. They both pushed down on the handles simultaneously, and were welcomed with the realization that the doors had self-locked behind them.

Ginga turned her head to Hayate and clenched her teeth. "So, it turns out you're a complete_ idiot_!"

Hayate panicked. "RUN!" she yelled, and immediately grabbed Ginga's hand and blazed a path through the middle of the surprised crowd, who had not expected the girls to come barreling straight towards them.

"Where are we going?" Ginga asked as she noticed they were starting to gain some distance between themselves and the paparazzi.

"I don't know!" Hayate replied, tears now streaming down her face.

Ginga rolled her eyes and immediately picked up her pace, soon passing by Hayate and becoming the one in the lead. "Who's slowing who down now, Hayate?" Ginga sarcastically yelled behind her.

As she had turned around to check on Hayate, Ginga was horrified to see that a couple of cameramen had managed to close the distance on them to just a few feet.

As they approached the parking lot of the school, a black SUV pulled up directly in front of them. Screeching to a halt, the rear door of the SUV flew open and a woman in a black suit and tie leaned over from the front passenger seat, flashing a badge at them. Hayate and Ginga immediately recognized them as members of the security team for the group.

"Get in!" the woman yelled.

Before Hayate and Ginga could reach the SUV though it started to drive away again. Ginga ran alongside the vehicle and threw her backpack in first, and then grabbed Hayate's bag and tossed it in as well. She ran and jumped into the SUV, and immediately turned and leaned her body half outside the vehicle's door. She extended her hand towards Hayate, who quickly grasped it and jumped up while Ginga was able to pull her inside.

Hayate crashed on top of Ginga on the backseat, and the woman in the passenger seat leaned over and closed the door behind them. She slumped down for a second and then glared at the two girls still entangled in the back. "You're lucky we saw you when we did," was all she said.

"Thank you," Ginga said gratefully to the woman. She then turned her attention back to Hayate, who was still on top of her. Hayate had her face buried in Ginga's shoulder in embarrassment.

"Hayate?" Ginga finally said, stroking the brunette's hair softly.

"Hmmmm?" was Hayate's tentative reply into her shirt. She finally looked up at Ginga shyly.

Ginga squeezed her tightly. "That was a lot of fun - we should do it again sometime!"

_~~End Flashback~~_

* * *

**Fate POV**

I took Lindy's cellphone from her hand and held it so that I could get a better look at the text -

"_Screwed up with the paparazzi. Might be a prob tomorrow. Can Ginga and I be roomies? Thx ~H_"

I just shook my head and gave the phone back to Lindy. "So are you going to assign them to an apartment together?" I asked.

Lindy remained facing me. "Maybe so. But I suppose that depends more on whether you want to be Nanoha's roommate or not, doesn't it?" she asked, winking at me. She laughed a little and turned back around in her seat before I had a chance to even try to formulate a response.

* * *

**Nanoha POV**

It was 9:58AM, and I was currently in the elevator of Uminari Towers, about to reach the top floor of my new apartment building. I was accompanied by Zafira, who had been officially assigned as my primary bodyguard as of last night. He had picked me from my home soon after the movers left with my boxes. My parents and siblings had already left for work by the time Zafira had arrived, so there was no tearful departure for me this morning. We had all said our goodbyes the night before.

Lindy has asked that all the members of the group, as well as all assigned staff, to meet in her room at 10AM to discuss room placements. I wasn't really expecting any surprises – I assumed that I would be paired with Hayate by default based on our history together.

The elevator doors opened and we stepped out into what could best be described as organized chaos in the hallway. There were a least a dozen people moving boxes around the hall and into rooms. As I began to walk down the hallway I noticed that the all the rooms had nameplates next to the doors, and everybody had already been assigned to their respective apartments.

"_Arf/Reinforce_" was the first nameplate I read next to the door to my right. This didn't surprise me since they work for the same company and seem to know each other already.

"_Shamal Wolken_" was the next name I saw. She was assigned to the apartment directly across the way from Arf and Reinforce.

"_Vita/Zafira_" read the next nameplate on the right. Zafira took the opportunity to enter his apartment at this point. I noticed some names I didn't recognize attached to the other two apartments in this area of the hallway. I figured they must be the new bodyguards that I hadn't met yet.

I laughed a bit when I saw "_Teana/Subaru_" assigned together in the next apartment on the right. I wasn't surprised at them being paired up of course, but I doubted there would ever be a dull moment at their place.

Before I could turn around to look at the apartment across from theirs, I heard a door open behind me. Hayate was stepping out of it, and upon seeing me I watched her eyes grow wide in surprise. She quickly stepped to the side of the doorway looking incredibly guilty.

"What are you doing?" I asked point-blank.

"Huh? Who, me? Pssshhh, nothing really," she fidgeted. "You?"

"It's 10 o'clock. I'm here for the meeting," I said flatly.

"Oh yes, yes! 10 o'clock already. You should definitely get going then. You don't want to be late!" She tried to shoo me away with her hands.

My eyes quickly darted between Hayate and the obscured nameplate she was blocking from my view with her body. "What does that say?" I asked, pointing behind her shoulder.

"What? Where? I don't know what you're talk – OW!" she yelped, reaching down to grab her shin that I just kicked. "That was the same spot as yesterday! Geez, you're so violent!" Crocodile tears began to form in her eyes.

"Care to explain why that says Hayate and _Ginga_?" I growled. I could feel a dark aura begin to enter my body.

"...Um, because you love me?" was her weak reply as she stood back up to continue facing my wrath.

I began to do a mental recap of the names I had seen attached to the rooms, wondering who I was going to end up living with. "So, where does that leave me, Hayate? I'm not paired up Signum, am I?"

Hayate laughed. "No, of course not, she has her own room. And so does Lindy-san, so..." she trailed off.

"Wait, that just leaves -" My brain finally clicked. I grabbed Hayate's arm above her elbow and squeezed hard. "Am I seriously going to be living with _Fate_?!" I tried to keep my voice low while still sounding as forceful as possible.

"OW! God, you're like a devil today, inflicting pain on me!" I removed my hand from her arm, and she immediately began rubbing the spot where I had pressed. "Nanoha, I know you weren't expecting this, but can't possibly be upset that you get to be her roommate?"

"Of course I'm not upset," was my honest reply. "But I'm still going to pretend like I'm mad at you for the rest of the day!" I said, poking her hard in the chest twice.

Hayate winced in pain, but then noticed something behind me. "Well, see you later, Nanoha," she quickly said, turning back to enter into her room.

"Nanoha..." a warm voice suddenly said behind me. I turned around and was met with my favorite set of burgundy eyes and blond hair. She was holding a cardboard box in her arms.

"Fate-chan!" I happily replied.

She smiled at me. "I suppose Hayate told you about us sharing an apartment? I hope that it's okay with you? If not I can -"

"No!" I quickly interrupted, taking the box from her arms. "No, it's perfect."

* * *

The next six weeks passed by in a routine of hard work, tears, laughter and on rare occasions, moments of pure bliss. Fate and I quickly became each others' support through the whirlwind pace and emotional roller coaster that was now our daily lives. After each grueling day for the first few weeks living together, we would spend the late evenings in our living room, enjoying each other as refuge and sanctuary from the chaos.

We started by sitting side-by-side on the couch discussing the events of the day, the progress of the other girls in the group, Signum and Shamal's growing sexual tension that inadvertently raised questions for myself and _my_ current living situation, and to rehearse the vocals of the songs we would soon be performing at the mini-concert.

We never spoke about my actions of the first night of our reunion, when I had unexpectedly kissed her on the cheek and then ran away. I was worried that bringing up that subject might result in a level of awkwardness between us, and I was in no way willing to jeopardize the wonderful dynamic she and I currently shared together.

By the second week, I had grown accustomed to laying my head on Fate's lap on the couch while we worked on whatever it was we needed to. Sometimes we would just have the ear-buds of our individual MP3 devices in, simply enjoying the feeling of each others company, listening to the instrumentals the Music Theory Club had provided to us the week before.

* * *

_~~Flashback, First Week~~_

We entered the Music Theory Club's room and I was greeted with the familiar faces I was so hoping to see again. "Suzuka! Alisa!" I exclaimed, running over to them.

"Nanoha, it's so good to see you again," Suzuka warmly said as she embraced me.

"Tsk, we just saw her yesterday, Suzuka," Alisa countered, hand on her hip.

She laughed at her best friend. "Yes, but that was different of course."

We knew we didn't have much time to chat, so we quickly got down to business. Suzuka and Alisa brought out the sheet music for the six songs that had been written for us by the club. I requested that Teana be given first choice for the song that she would be the main vocals of, since she had put so much hard work and dedication into all of the music that lay in front of us.

Once the songs had been assigned Alisa brought out six new MP3 players, each in a different color. She explained that the instrumentals for all six songs were loaded onto each of the players, so that we would always be able to practice any the songs no matter where we were.

We all grabbed a device in the color we thought best suited us. As we were getting familiar with their functions, Hayate had an idea. "Hey guys, we should all name our MP3 players for good luck."

We all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. After thinking for a few minutes, Subaru was first to come up with a name. She held her light blue MP3 player in front of her and said, "I hereby dub thee '_Mach Caliber_'," she announced.

Ginga was next. "Well in that case, this will be '_Blitz Caliber_'," and she held her purple one out next to Subaru's.

"How about... '_Cross Mirage_' for mine?" Teana said as she looked down at her orange music player.

"_Schwertkreuz_," Hayate said and kissed her brown MP3 device.

"Eh?" I asked.

"What?" she responded.

"What does – eh, never mind," I decided. "As long as you know what it means, that's all that is important."

Fate looked intently at her yellow device. "_Bardiche_," she finally decide.

"_Raising Heart_," I officially named my red player, concluding the impromptu ceremony.

_~End Flashback~_

* * *

It was during the middle of our third week together that the living situation between myself and Fate changed drastically. We had said our 'good nights' to each other as usual and departed the living room towards our respective bedrooms. As I laid my head down on my pillow, I inserted Raising Heart's ear-buds and turned on the music. I had become accustomed to sleeping with the instrumentals of the six songs quietly playing in my dreams.

About two hours after I had fallen asleep, I found myself suddenly awoken by the sound of a scream coming from Fate's bedroom. I immediately removed the ear-buds and was out of my room in seconds. I stood in front of Fate's bedroom door in the hallway and listened closely, now unsure whether I had dreamed it, or if the scream had truly come from her room. I heard the sounds of sheets rustling, and then a faint "_No...s-stop..._" in a panicked, strained voice coming from inside.

I pushed open the door, and in the moonlight saw Fate curled up in a fetal position in the middle of her bed, her covers in a pile on the floor. Her face seemed to be contorted in pain and she was crying slightly, and I felt a chill run through my entire being. I ran to her bed and sat down on it next to her, trying to figure out the best way to wake her from her nightmare.

Opting not to touch her physically lest make the it worse, I turned on the lamp next to her bed and started calling to her calmly, yet firmly. "Fate? Fate, you need to wake up. It's okay, it's Nanoha. I'm here, Fate - - you're safe."

As I was speaking to her, I had noticed her body start to visibly relax and her face no longer was strained in imagined pain. Upon hearing the word 'safe', she opened her eyes. She looked at me and around the room confused at first, as if unsure where she was. She then fell back down onto her pillow silently, eyes closed, hands holding each other on top of her forehead. She seemed to be replaying the events of the nightmare in her head.

I got up and went to the bathroom, leaving her bedroom door open and her light on. I quickly returned with a warm washcloth and sat back down next to her on her bed. She hadn't changed positions in the time I was gone.

"Fate," I said as a warning to get her attention, and then began to move the washcloth lightly across her cheeks and forehead to rid her of the tears and sweat on her face. She slowly opened her eyes, and I noticed her eyes emitted a mix of gratitude and embarrassment in my direction.

"I think I'll be okay now," she said quietly after I had finished with the washcloth. "I'm sorry that I scared you."

I smiled softly and shook my head, finding it endearing that she would be concerned about _my_ welfare after all that. "No, I'm glad I could help," I reassured her. I then stood up and started replacing the sheets and covers on her bed, placing them gently over her as she pulled them to her chest.

"Thank you, Nanoha," she said, reaching over to grab my hand and squeezing it lightly.

I stood at the edge of her bed, lost in an internal struggle with myself. It was a feeling that was reminiscent of the first night of our recent reunion, when my body had ultimately decided to take action on it's own without my mind's permission. Just like that night, I found myself moving before I realized what I was doing.

I pulled back the edge of her covers nearest me, and silently began settling myself in her bed next to her. She leaned up on her elbow observing my actions, her eyes widening a bit as if in sheer disbelief. I emitted a small laugh at her reaction, and then reached over and turned off the lamp next to me. I laid my arm across her pillow and maneuvered it around her shoulders as an indication for her to lay down. She complied, and it wasn't long before she was curled up next to me, her head resting on my shoulder and one arm wrapped loosely around my waist .

"Goodnight, Fate," was all I said, as the warmth of her body next to me was immediately lulling me to a comfortable sleep.

"Goodnight... Nanoha," her sleepy voice replied, breathing gently against my neck.

That night was the last night we had departed the living room to sleep alone - every night afterward we took turns sneaking into each others' beds to curl up next to it's occupant.

I was not clueless to the fact that our actions pushed the boundaries of mere friendship, and I doubted that it had escaped Fate's attention either. But I also was not prepared to risk any sort of escalation of our relationship. As comforting as our secret cuddle sessions may have been in the middle of the night, Fate and I were still professionals and there were more than a dozen people that were staking their entire lives and careers on the success of our group. So, in my determination for us all to succeed, I merely added 'romantic relationship' to the enormous list of things that I could not afford to spend time or energy on at this junction in my life.

* * *

At the end of the fourth week, our group held a meeting with Suzuka, Alisa, and the rest of the Music Theory Club again. The deadline for students to submit suggestions for the group's name had just passed, and we were all gathered to pick out the winner. Alisa was carrying a cardboard box in her arms and was making her way to the front of the clubroom with it.

Suzuka joined Alisa shortly after and began the meeting. "Hello everyone! As you all know, students have been coming to the campus throughout their summer break to enter the contest. We wanted to ensure that each student only submitted one entry apiece so that the club wasn't flooded with suggestions. In this box are the entries that have the made it to the -"

Suzuka's speech was suddenly interrupted by Subaru, who had unexpectedly stood up from her chair and made a beeline for Alisa. She grabbed the box roughly out of her hands and dumped the contents onto the table they were standing next to. She hurriedly began to unfold the papers and smooth them flat on the desk.

Suzuka let out a small giggle at the display, and Alisa's eyes immediately sought out Teana in anger. She silently pointed towards Subaru for explanation, who was still very much engrossed in her task.

"_Damnit, Subaru..._" Teana growled with a grimace on her face, and then sighed. "Sorry, everybody. It has been driving her crazy that we have just been calling it 'the group' this entire time. Please forgive her."

Alisa rolled her eyes and then turned to the whiteboard that was behind her, grabbing and uncapping a black dry erase marker from the ledge. She glared at Subaru briefly, snatching the paper nearest her on the desk away from the blue-haired girl. She then read what was written on the paper to herself and transcribed the first suggestion onto the board.

As Alisa and Suzuka began to take turns writing down the suggestions with Subaru's sudden assistance, I took an opportunity to approach Signum and Shamal, who I noticed were standing together in the rear of the room. It was rare for me to have moment with them outside the dance studio or nurse's office, where Shamal had temporarily set up her station to treat our numerous sprains and aches.

"So Signum, it's been four weeks - what's your verdict?" I asked.

She crossed her arms and thought for a moment. "Well, you guys are a lot less terrible than when you first started, so that's something I suppose," she finally replied coldly.

Shamal laughed and lightly slapped Signum on the arm. "Don't let her fool you, Nanoha," she countered. "She talks about how great you guys are all the time."

Signum looked wounded, like she had just been betrayed by the blond. Shamal just laughed and pulled at Signum's still crossed limbs, suggesting that she release them. She then embraced one of Signum's arms in a hug, to which Signum could only look away from me in embarrassment.

"Geez Nanoha, did you encourage this lewd behavior?" I heard Hayate's voice behind me. She was then by my side, staring intently at Signum. "I don't know even _know_ you anymore..." she said playfully in loud whisper to her cousin.

Signum continued to say nothing, and I almost took pity on the embarrassed dance instructor before Shamal decided to interject herself on Signum's behalf. "Oh Hayate, Ginga stopped by my office today. She mentioned something about a bruise she got when she fell off the -"

"AHHHHHH-TA-TA-TA!" Hayate suddenly interrupted, hands waving furiously in front of her towards the blond-haired woman. I noticed she was looking over in my direction with sheer panic on her face.

Before I could guess what had Hayate in such a frenzy, Suzuka's voice called from the front of the room. "Okay, we are done!"

I turned and saw the board was filled with about 30 names. As I began to read them some made me laugh, some confused me, but most didn't really seem to fit who we were as a team. It was towards the bottom of the list that a name seemed to jump out at me. I really hoped that that would be the one the group would select.

I started walking back to my seat near Fate, who was intently reading the board. I thought I saw her eyes looking in the direction of the same name that I thought was calling to me.

I leaned down and whispered next to her ear, "Do you see it too?" I asked. I watched as Fate's hands grasped the sides of the desk at feeling my breath next to ear.

"You scared me, Nanoha! Yes, I think so, third from the bottom right?" she confirmed.

"Yep!" I replied, feeling more confident that our group was going to finally have a name that truly suited us.

* * *

**Omake:**

I held the newspaper article in the air that Lindy had just handed to me. "Hayate... Ginga..." I began.

Hayate had one arm crossed in front of her, blushing furiously and looking away from me towards the floor. Ginga had her hands behind her back, trying to find something interesting on the ceiling.

I turned the newspaper over to Vita, who immediately started rolling it up. I closed my eyes, wishing I could erase the image of my best friend's black and yellow-striped underwear, prominently displayed on the front page, from my mind as she lay on top of Ginga in the backseat of an SUV.

Vita began swatting Hayate with the rolled newspaper repeatedly. "This (thunk) is why (thunk) you wait (thunk) for bodyguards (thunk)!"

She then turned towards me. "And you," Vita added, pointing at me with her newspaper. "This is what happens when you don't keep your legs closed, you got that?"

* * *

**A/N:** You know, I always loved Hayate as a character but after this chapter I found a new appreciation for her. Ginga, too. I hadn't originally planned to pair them, but somehow they just work really well together in this story. Okay, next chapter will be posted in the next day or two!

Until then +..+ ~Nissanity~


	5. Chapter 5 - Illumination

**A/N: **I opted to not add the English lyrics for the song **River** in this chapter. Unfortunately, it does not seem to translate well, and I don't want that to take away from the atmosphere I'm aiming for in the scene. I still encourage you to play the full song when you get to that portion of the chapter, of course!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

**Song Reference: **_River_ by AK48/AKB0048

* * *

******Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 5 – **___**Illumination**_

* * *

**Nanoha POV**

The morning of the concert had all of us rushing around backstage of the school auditorium in preparation. The academy had resumed classes that morning, and the students were eager to see the school's new music group perform during their lunch break. We weren't returning to classes until tomorrow due to the mini-concert, which allowed us to focus completely on the performance ahead of us.

Lindy came into our dressing room, followed closely by Arf and Reinforce, who were pushing a clothing rack between them. I noticed six new outfits, still in plastic, hanging from the center bar.

"By some miracle your outfits arrived in time!" Lindy announced, beaming. For the past week she had been visible stressed by their delayed delivery, uncertain if they were going to be available in time for our performance. It was nice to see her relaxed, cheerful face once again.

"Let's just hope they fit," Arf thought out loud while removing some of the plastic.

"We will _make_ them fit," Reinforce countered firmly as she assisted her.

There were collective 'oohs and aahs' as the costumes were given to each of us. The colors of the outfits matched each other, but the style of each one was unique to each performer. I realized the contracted fashion designer must have taken great pains in the past six weeks to design these outfits. Each one complimented our appearances and personalities perfectly.

Arf and Reinforce were hurrying around the dressing room, checking on everyone's hair and makeup. They had taught us some tricks over the past few weeks so that we could handle most of our own styling. We knew that taking care of the hair, makeup, and clothing for six girls was a daunting task for any two people to take on, so we wanted to help them out as much as we could.

I spotted Shamal, who was kneeling in front of Teana, her hands wrapping an ace bandage around the copper-haired girl's ankle. She had injured it twice in the past three weeks, the second time spraining it badly.

"How does it look?" I asked, concerned about the younger group member.

Shamal finishing by applying sports tape around the edges of the cloth. "Well, the swelling has gone done quite a bit since last night, and I injected a pain killer directly into the muscle so hopefully that helps."

"It's okay Nanoha, it doesn't feel like I have a foot at all now," Teana tried to reassure me. I frowned but didn't say anything.

Subaru came up behind Teana and slapped her hard on her shoulder. "Don't worry Teana, you can do it!" she exclaimed.

Teana's face immediately went dark. "Shut up, Subaru..." she growled.

"Nanoha, I'll just carry her around the stage on my back if she can't perform, okay?" Subaru turned towards me, face full of determination.

"Nope that's cheating, you can't do that," I immediately said, trying to cut off any more strange thoughts from the blue-haired girl.

Ginga walked up to our group from outside of the dressing room. "Subaru, you have more fan mail," she said, producing three envelopes in her hand. Two of the envelopes looked like normal pieces of mail in white envelopes with girlish handwriting on the front.

The third envelope, however, was bright neon green and had the words 'Subaru' and 'I love you' spelled out in letters cut out from a magazine. There were a few cutouts of Subaru's face as well - - photos I recognized from our first photo shoot that had recently been published in one of the popular idol magazines. That wasn't so bad, of course, but what _was_ alarming were the little clumps of blue hair glued on top of Subaru's head in the pictures. The hair looked like it had been dyed blue, and it was unclear which part of the body the hair may have originated from.

Hayate walked up behind her girlfriend and, spotting the strange item, snatched the envelope out of her hand. "This should be a good read," she said, about to open it.

Teana stood up and grabbed it from Hayate. "Don't do that, you don't know where it's been!"

I couldn't resist the temptation anymore. "Well, as team captain it's my job to make sure that -" I started, about to take the envelope away from Teana.

Suddenly Wendi, Subaru's personal bodyguard, leaned over all of us and quickly removed the envelope from Teana's hands. "None of you are reading this," she stated firmly and walked away with it. I faintly heard heard her grumble something about 'fifth time this week'.

While the four girls were arguing among themselves, I looked over and saw Fate near the end of the dressing room, seated in front of one of the mirrors. She had just finished putting her hair up in twintails with black ribbons. It was a hairstyle I had never seen before on her, and thought it looked adorable on her.

As I walked up behind her, she noticed me in the mirror and smiled. I bent down and looped my arms around her shoulders to give her a hug, putting my face next to hers. She reached up her hand and held onto my crossed forearms.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked her reflection.

She nodded. "Yes," she replied, smiling brighter. "I can't wait."

* * *

The six of us waited in the wings of the darkened auditorium - myself , Fate, and Hayate were stage-left, and Teana, Subaru, and Ginga were stage-right. I glanced across and saw Teana and Ginga giving silent encouragement to Subaru - - it was an endearing sight.

I felt Fate's hand suddenly enter into mine, and I turned to face her. She bent down slightly and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Good luck, Nanoha," she whispered into my ear. I nodded eagerly and squeezed her hand in response. "Good luck, Hayate," I added to my friend in a whisper. She gave me a thumbs up with a smile.

I turned to watch the stage hand in front of me intently. She was focused on her headset, waiting for the cue from the producer's booth. When prompted, my task was to quickly power on my headset and start singing the first line of my song. While I was doing that, we all were to enter on the darkened stage and assume our places, with the stage lights becoming fully illuminated after we completed the second line together.

The stage hand pointed at me, and I powered on my headset.

"**RRIIIOOOOTTTT FOOORRRRCCCEEEE...SIX!"**

We hit our marks and the auditorium was fully illuminated. While the stage lights made it difficult to see the crowd clearly, I could tell they were all on their feet in anticipation.

During the next part of the song we performed the dance steps in perfect succession with the drumbeat. The complexity of the choreography we were performing took us all weeks to master, especially when we had to start singing along halfway through.

**Mae e susume! (Got it!)/ Tachidomaru na! (Got it!)**

**Mezasu wa hi ga noboru basho/ Kibou no michi wo aruke!**

**Yukute habamu river! River! River!/ Yokotawaru river!**

**Unmei no river! River! River!/ Tamesareru river!**

**Mayoi wa suterun da!/ Konjou wo misero yo!/ Tamerau na!**

**Ima sugu/ Ippo fumidase yo!/ Believe yourself!**

The next portion of the song was a mix of free form and choreographed movements as we moved around the stage to get the audience hyped up. We could feel the energy start to build in the auditorium.

**Mae e mae!/ Massugu susume!/ Kawa wo watare! **

**Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!**

It was then my cue to head towards center stage to began my solo portion of the song. Fate sang in minor accompaniment, something that we had practiced many times in our living room at night.

**Itsu datte yume wa/ Tooku ni mieru/ Todokanai kurai kyori kanjiru **

**Ashimoto no ishi wo/ Hitotsu hirotte/ Gamushara ni natte**

**Nagete miro!**

The rest of the group entered the chorus loudly and the stage lights exploded around us. The audience roared in excitement.

**Kimi no me no mae ni/ Kawa ga nagareru/ Hiroku ookina kawa da**

**Kuraku fukakute mo/ Nagare hayakue mo/ Obienakute ii**

**Hanarete ite mo/ Souda mukougishi wa aru**

**Motto jibun wo shinjiro yo**

**Yami no naka wo/ Hitasura oyoge!**

**Furikaeru na! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!**

We repeated the next set of lyrics and chorus with the same pattern, myself taken center again with Fate's accompaniment, and the auditorium exploding even louder during the second chorus.

**Te nobaseba soko ni/ Mirai wa aru yo/ Todokanai mono to akiramenaide!**

**Houri nageta ishi wa/ Yume wo kanaete/ Ochiru oto nanka kikoenai**

**Kimi no kokoro ni mo/ Kawa ga nagareru/ Tsurai shiren no kawa da**

**Umaku ikanakut mo/ Toki ni oborete mo/ Kurikaeseba ii**

**Akirameru na yo/ Soko ni kishi wa arun da/ Itsuka tadori tsukeru darou****  
**

At the conclusion of the second chorus, we all jumped offstage as we yelled "**Get Over It! River!**" and headed into the aisle's of the auditorium. Spotlights followed us all as we made our way through, shaking hands with the audience while singing.

**Ah-ah-ah-ah-/Jibun ni iiwake surun ja nee!**

**Ah-ah-ah-ah-/Yatte mi nakerya wakannee!**

**Ah-ah-ah-ah-/Massugu susumu shika nee!**

**Zutto zutto zutto/Aruki tsuzuko Kimeta michi wo!**

As we made our way back onto stage, I noticed there was only five of us - - Subaru had run into a bit of trouble in the audience. I witnessed Wendi and Sein, Teana's bodyguard, pulling random girls off of her.

**Kimi no me no mae ni/ Kawa ga nagareru/ Hiroku ookina kawa da**

**Kuraku fukakute mo/ Nagare hayakue mo/ Obienakute ii**

**Hanarete ite mo/ Souda mukougishi wa aru**

**Motto jibun wo shinjiro yo**

I was thankful for my last solo so that Subaru could make her way back on stage and finish the song with us. Teana had a look of concern mixed with anger on her face, hidden well beneath her performance smile.

**Kimi no kokoro ni mo/ Kawa ga nagareru/ Ase to namida no kawa da!**

**Shippai shite shimatte mo/ Nagasarete shimatte mo/ Yarinaoseba ii**

**Yowane haku na yo/ Yume ni shigamitsukun da/ Negai kanau hi ga kuru made**

We finally almost screamed our last lyrics together.

**Kawa wo watare!/ You can do it!**

* * *

The remaining five songs of our concert were performed with the same level of intensity as the first with very few mistakes. Fate's song was last, and as she finished her final verse and the music started to fade out, my adrenaline had me running straight towards her.

Anticipating my impending collision with her, Fate quickly wrapped her arms around my waist and picked off the ground a few feet, spinning me around once in the air. I had my hands on her shoulders, smiling and laughing with her as she beamed up at me.

As she put me down I gave her a quick hug, and then turned and faced the crowd, waiving my left hand in the air towards then. "Thank you everyone! You're support means so much to us! We love you all!"

The rest of Riot Force 6, or RF6 as we were already accustomed to calling it, said similar things to the crowd and we all began to run off stage. Once we had all made it to the dressing room, we were all excitedly hugging and congratulating each other.

Eventually Lindy joined us in the dressing room to make an announcement. "Alright, I don't think I need to tell you how wonderful of a job you all did. Everyone has the afternoon off, so rest up in your apartments while you can. Carim will be stopping by the apartments sometime this evening to discuss your new schedules that are going into effect starting tomorrow."

Everyone gave a collective groan as they realized that school was back in session for us, which meant we were faced with the added task of schoolwork on top of our already chaotic lives. I quickly began to gather my belongings from the dressing room, and Fate and I eventually made our way back to our apartment to enjoy the precious few hours of free time we had just been allotted together.

* * *

I had just finished showering and putting on my favorite pair of lazy-day clothes, which consisted of a pair of blue exercise pants and a white spaghetti strap shirt with a blue sweater over it. I joined Fate in the living room, who was already seated on the couch. She had set up a light snack and drinks on the center table for us. I grabbed a baby carrot as I walked by before sitting down on the couch, and then immediately assuming my normal position with my head in her lap.

"I could get use to this," I said as I took a bite of the carrot.

Fate looked down and smiled. "What would you like to do this afternoon, Nanoha?"

I thought about it for a minute, frowning."I don't know. We haven't had free time in so long, you know?"

"How about we start by watching TV for a while, then?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me." I grabbed the remote from the table and attempted to turn the television on, soon realizing I had no idea how to operate it. After a few minutes, I finally was able to find a channel that was running an anime that looked interesting.

It didn't take long for me to lose interest in the show, and I found myself looking up at Fate's face instead. Even from the angle I was at, she looked beautiful.

I sat back up on the couch and faced her. "Fate-chan?" I asked for her attention.

"Yes?"

"Do you ever miss modeling? You were one for so long," I said, remembering the years I watched her grow up on the glossy pages of magazines in front of me.

She shook her head. "No, not at all. That was never my dream. It was my mother's wish, but I've always wanted to be a singer."

"You're mother...is she...?" I began, already knowing the likely answer.

Fate just nodded. "Yes, she's dead. Along with my sister Alicia. The both died a while back."

There was a heavy silence that fell between the two of us. I didn't want to push her if she didn't want to talk about that subject, so I decided to break the tension by trying to relate to her in another way.

I removed my sweater, revealing the small white undershirt I had on underneath. I quickly scolded myself for forgetting to put a bra on, but there was nothing I could do about that now. I watched Fate's eyes grow a little wider with my sudden loss of clothing and she started to blush, but she seemed determined not to look away from my face out of respect for me.

I rolled my eyes at her and laughed. "Geez, Fate-chan, it's okay! I want to show you something," I said, pointing towards my chest.

Her vision left my face for half a second and looked down towards my chest, but then she immediately looked back up. I watched her face as she seemed to register what she had just seen, and then she slowly returned her gaze to the middle portion of my chest area again.

"Nano...ha..." she slowly said, and I noticed that a few tears had crept up to the corners of her eyes.

I grasped both of her hands in mine, and placed them over the area that she had just seen. "It's okay, Fate-chan. Really, I wanted you to see this," I began.

* * *

_~~Flashback, 4 Years Prior~_~

"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four! Takamachi, you were one step behind there!" Signum's voice echoed through the dance studio.

I mentally scolded myself. I knew the routine by heart and usually performed it flawlessly, but I was feeling a bit off today.

Signum saw my frustration and, after I made a few more mistakes, decided to let me off easy that day. "Okay everyone, let's wrap this up early today. Nanoha, stop by my office after you get changed," she said and walked out the studio door.

Hayate, who had been sitting in the corner of the studio reading a magazine, stood up and wiped off her school uniform. "It's weird to see Signum as the new dance instructor, don't you think?" she asked me.

"A little bit," I agreed with a nod. I met Signum after I had become friends with Hayate, whom I had met four years prior, when we were new students together at Uminari Academy. Signum was a teenager at the time and was also attending the school. She always treated me kindly, almost like her adopted younger sister.

I had been accepted into the school by chance due to my father's insistence. He ran a very successful dojo that both my older brother and sister were also active members of, although I had never been interested in training there myself. The school wanted to incorporate a martial arts class into the curriculum, and had sought out my father as a consultant. He agreed to offer his services in exchange for his youngest daughter's admittance to the school. The production company took one look at my file and accepted the proposal, saying I had a certain 'look' that they favored.

I hadn't been comfortable with being admitted to the school without having any discernible skills, but my parents insisted I attend. I quickly made friends at my new school with Hayate, bonding over the fact that we were both new to the school and considered ourselves talentless. She told me her guardian basically paid the school a lot of money so that she could attend without an audition. His hope was that Signum, her older cousin, would be able to offer her positive guidance with their close proximity in the same school.

I went to meet Hayate at the school's dance studio one afternoon, as she was watching her cousin rehearse that day per her guardian's request. When I entered the room, I saw a pink-haired teenager moving her body in ways I had never thought possible, in rhythm to a song that I had heard many times on the radio. I knew immediately that I wanted to try dancing like that.

Hayate jumped at the opportunity to help her new best friend, and quickly set up a time for Signum and I to meet so that she could teach me a few steps. During our first encounter, Signum said I had a natural talent unlike anything she had witnessed before, especially for someone my age. She quickly took me under her wing, teaching me everything she knew.

Eventually, by the age of 12, I was placed in the highest-tiered dance class usually reserved for the seniors of the academy. I even earned the nickname 'Ace of Aces,' although I wasn't sure where that name originated from. I figured Hayate had something to do with it.

Signum graduated from the academy and became the instructor for the class I was now in. It was odd for me to see her in the official role but she fit into it naturally, as demonstrated by her willingness to help a once 8-year-old novice like me.

I eventually made my way to Signum's office. Her door was open so I walked in and stood in front of her desk. "Signum, I..." I started.

"If you are here to apologize for earlier, don't worry about it," she interrupted. "That's not what this is about. The academy wanted me to talk to you about your future here at the school."

I sat down on one of the chairs that was in front of her desk, waiting for her to continue.

"Uminari Productions in very interested in you, Nanoha. A representative was here last week and saw how talented you are, and there are already talks of signing you to the agency. They contacted me to see if you would be interested," Signum informed me.

"Sign me to do what?" I asked skeptically.

Signum stared at me for a few seconds before responding. "To make balloon animals – what do you think? They feel you have the potential to be the next big idol."

"Nyahaha, me as an idol?" I responded, giggling. "That's just silly."

Signum sighed. "I've already told Hayate the news, and she's waiting for you outside. She told me she isn't going to let you make a stupid decision just because you are too humble for your own good."

I stood up, getting ready to leave. I had a lot to think about. "Oh, and Nanoha?" Signum added. "Go get some cold medicine. You look terrible."

* * *

The school's pharmacy was located at the edge of campus, near the main vehicle entrance into the academy. Hayate and I were walking there together so that I could do as Signum instructed and get some cold medicine, and we were casually chatting about what it would be like to be 'famous'.

In her hand she had the fashion magazine she had been previously reading in the studio, and she had it open to a page she had earmarked. "By the way, do you remember her?" she asked, handing me the magazine.

I looked down at what she had just given me, and immediately halted in my tracks. There, within the magazine pages, stared back the face of someone I had never expected to see again. "Fate-chan...?" I whispered.

"Yep!" Hayate proclaimed. "I have started noticing her in more and more magazines lately. Looks like she really made it, huh?"

I didn't say anything as I started walking again, beginning to hand the magazine back over to Hayate. "Keep it," she said with a wink. "I know you want to."

I pouted a little at her observation, but complied and put the magazine in my backpack. I was still lost in thought about what I had just seen. Fate's eyes now looked even sadder than they used to be, and it made my chest ache that she might be unhappy somewhere out there in the world.

We entered the school store and I picked out some cold medicine from the shelf, while Hayate went to get something to drink. I then turned my attention to the magazine rack that was near the front entrance. I picked up a fashion magazine and started flipping through it. I smiled as I finally saw Fate's picture in that one as well. She still looked sad in that picture too, but I was happy for her new-found success.

My back was to store window so I never saw the delivery truck that was currently out of control near the school entrance, heading straight for the building I was standing in. I looked up from the magazine I was reading as Hayate had begun to turn towards me.

"NANOHA!" she screamed, her arm outstretched as she tried to approach where I was standing.

I was trying to comprehend what she was doing when suddenly my world went black for a few seconds. When I could finally see again, everything around me looked fuzzy and broken. I saw what looked like a blurry Hayate across the room, laying with her back towards me, motionless.

I didn't seem to have any control over my body anymore, and it was almost felt like I was suspended in mid-air. I clumsily looked down, and saw a large metal rod protruding from my chest. A drop of blood from my mouth fell onto it, and then a few more.

On the floor next to my feet, I could narrowly make out the magazine that I had been looking at. It was still opened to Fate's picture, and I felt my mouth try to form a smile. I was grateful I could see something beautiful before my vision faded to black again.

* * *

The coma I was in lasted three months. I wish I could say I had experienced something magical and unique during it's course, but I hadn't. I simply was awake, was not awake, and then awake again in what felt like an instant to me.

When I opened my eyes for the first time in the hospital room, I felt nothing. Literally_ nothing_. I could not feel my body, nor could I move any part of me other than to blink my eyes. My hearing was still intact though, and I noticed the beeping sound behind my head to the left was increasing in frequency the longer I was conscious.

I heard a door open and some people running in my direction. "She's awake!" I heard one of the strangers exclaim. A set of footsteps ran away, and then quite a few sets of feet were now running in my direction again. Suddenly my mother's face was in my vision.

"Nanoha! Oh god, Nanoha you're awake!" she cried out on my right. I could see that she had reached down and clasped both her hands around one of my own, and she was kissing my hand frantically. I couldn't feel any of it.

My sister Miyuki was the next familiar face to enter my vision on my left. I watched as she cried and placed her hand on my arm. I couldn't feel that, either.

The only thing I could do was cry. So I did. I cried out of sheer frustration until I finally just went back to sleep so I wouldn't have to deal with the nothingness anymore for a while.

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Nanoha's parents were in the office of Carim Garcia, school administrator of Uminari Academy. It had been 5 days since Nanoha had woken up from her coma, and Carim was hoping for an update on her condition.

"Well, she is...okay," Momoko hesitantly answered. "She has started to move her fingers and toes, which the doctors say is a miracle within itself. The were convinced she would be paralyzed from the chest down her whole life."

"She is very frustrated, though," Shiro added. "Frustrated by her inability to control her body."

"All we can do now is hope that she channels that energy to keep pushing forward in her recovery," Momoko concluded.

Carim simply nodded. She was attempting to appear strong in front of Nanoha's parents with the news, although she wanted to do nothing more than burst into tears upon hearing that Nanoha was not going to be paralyzed for life. Nanoha was special to her, and Carim had not been able to sleep or eat much since the accident that nearly claimed the life of one of her favorite students at the school.

"As you both know," Carim was finally able to begin again after clearing her throat, "Uminari has paid for all of Nanoha's medical bills so far and will continue to do for as long as necessary. I apologize for having to discuss business matters at a time like this, but I've been instructed to offer you a settlement twice what was previously offered to your family. The company would like to ensure that Nanoha, and her family, are taken care of for the rest of your lives."

Momoko looked at her husband and grasped his hand in support. Shiro had visibly shifted in his chair with the sudden announcement.

"Nanoha's mother and I have discussed the matter," he began, "and I'm afraid that we cannot accept the deal."

It was now Carim's turn to shift uncomfortably in her chair. "I see. If it is a matter of the amount I can-"

"No! No it's not that," Momoko interrupted. "You see, Signum stopped by the hospital a few days ago once she heard that Nanoha had woken up. She mentioned to us that the production company was about to offer Nanoha a contract before the accident occurred."

"Yes, that is true," Carim confirmed, although she was unclear about why that was an issue now.

"We want the production company to continue forward with the plan to sign Nanoha once she makes a full recovery and can perform again. She earned it, and that is the only settlement we will accept," Shiro stated firmly.

Carim leaned back in her chair, lost in thought. She was not expecting this turn in the conversation. "So just to be clear, if Nanoha makes -"

"WHEN," Shiro interrupted.

"My apologizes. _When_ Nanoha makes a full recovery and is back to the same skill level as before, you would like the production company to sign her like they had intended to before the accident?"

"Yes. We have no interest in making money off of our daughter's condition," Shiro stated, seemingly shaking his head in disgust at the thought. "We just want Nanoha to have the life she was destined to lead. We know this is only a temporary set-back for her. I know my daughter - she _will_ recover from this."

"And if she doesn't?" Carim was forced to asked.

"That's not possible," Shiro reaffirmed. "Oh, and we have one more condition."

"Yes?"

"Nanoha cannot know about the settlement," Momoko finished for her husband. "She needs to recover physically for her own mental well-being - - not because she feels pressured to do so by outside factors."

Carim contemplated all that was said, eventually realizing that a settlement under these terms was feasible. She extended her hand across her desk. "Thank you Momoko, Shiro. We will be in touch."

* * *

_~~Flashback, 3 Years Prior~_~

**Nanoha POV**

"Hey Nanoha, think fast!" Hayate suddenly yelled, and threw a foam ball directly at my face.

I moved my arm up to catch it before it could land. "Geez, Hayate! I'm starting to think you are throwing them faster at me."

"I am," she simply confirmed with a smile.

We were sitting in the rehabilitation room of the hospital where I had spent the last year in recovery from the accident. It was an accident that nearly claimed my life. According to one doctor, it actually did, but they were able to resuscitate me on the surgery table just in time.

"Hey, Signum is stopping by today. She wants to show you a new dance step she just created," Hayate informed me.

I slowly rose from the bench I had been sitting on, leaving the foam ball behind. It took me about twice as long as an average person to do simple tasks like that. I started walking towards Hayate, willing my limbs to move at the speed used to. "I'm excited to see her, it's been a while!" I said.

"Yes, she's been busy at the school. She told me 'all of my students are just terrible'," Hayate imitated in her very-practiced Signum voice.

I laughed as I heard that, and then I slowly crossed my arms in front of my chest, mimicking Signum's stance. Hayate just laughed in return, instantly recognizing it as her cousin's trademark pose.

It was at that moment that Signum entered the room and made her way towards us, eventually coming to stand next to me. She automatically assumed her familiar pose that I was still imitating."So, what are guys doing?" she asked.

Hayate gave out a huge "HAH!" when she saw Signum do that, and began to double over while clutching at her sides, laughing. She eventually just waved us off to get away from her, since I had continued to hold the pose in front of her with her clueless cousin doing the same.

Signum looked at Hayate dumbfounded, and then turned away from her. "Hey Takamachi, do you remember that one dance step where you pull up your arms and hop back and then turn around on the same foot?" She quickly demonstrated the move. "Well I was thinking, what if instead of pulling your arms backwards you punched forward and moved the opposite foot away, and then turned?" She proceeded to show me the modified step she had been struggling to explain to me verbally.

My eyes lit up. "Hey I like that! It looks great!" I immediately assumed the first position she had demonstrated and proceeded to perform the step flawlessly, as I had done thousands of times before. "So show me again the - wait, what's wrong?"

Signum's eyes had grown wider than I had ever seen them before, and she was starting to stumble backwards away from me in shock. I heard a crash behind me, and looked back to see Hayate sprawled out on the floor, having fallen backwards over a chair herself. She was leaning up on her elbows, her eyes as wide as Signum's in disbelief.

Suddenly realizing what had just happened myself, I raised my hands up and stared at them in disbelief. I then opened and closed each of hands quickly and easily about 10 times. My body was responding to my brain's commands like it used to.

"It's not possible..." Hayate whispered.

Still unsure, I began to jog in place. The rhythm wasn't perfect, but it was still pretty close to what I used to be able to do.

I ran over to Hayate, and helped her climb to her feet with my rediscovered physical abilities. She looked like she was ready to faint.

"Hayate - - I'm back!" I informed her cheerfully

* * *

_~~Present Day~~_

"And here I am today," I finished telling Fate, smiling and holding a hand up in the air for her to see. I open and closed a few times it in demonstration.

"How did you - ?" was all she could ask, staring wide-eyed at my raised hand.

I shrugged. "The doctors think that muscle memory had something to do with it. Something about, I had performed that dance step so many times in my life that my body remembered it, and it triggered something in my brain to make everything start working right again. I don't know, really. They said they have seen stranger things happen, though."

Fate laughed softly. "I wouldn't believe it if it were anyone else but you, Nanoha."

"It still took me months to recover fully since my body was still pretty weak, but eventually I was back to practicing in Signum's dance class every day."

"And then the production company ended up signing you after all?" Fate asked.

"Yep, one day Carim just walked up to me with a contract, explaining the agreement she and my parents had made after the accident. They had kept it a secret from me the entire time, but I understood their reason for doing so."

I paused and then tentatively scratched my cheek, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I guess it looks pretty ugly, huh? My scar? I've had a few surgeries to help make it look a little better, but still..."

Fate shook her head as she retrieved her left hand that I was still holding at my chest, gently placing it on my thigh just above my knee. She shifted her right hand to lay it flat, her palm resting directly over my scarred chest. She then slowly moved her hand to her right across my skin, her palm finally coming to rest over my heart. The sensation of the movement caused my breath to catch, and I could feel the pace of my heartbeat beginning to increase beneath her touch.

"No, Nanoha..." she whispered, "you're beautiful."

Fate suddenly bent her body forward, her head leaning in close to where her hand had once resided. I felt her warm breath against my scar, right before her lips pressed lightly against the uneven skin. I could only look up and away from the scene, overwhelmed with emotion from her intense and compassionate display.

My eyes fluttered and light tears immediately fell from them, but I made no motion to remove the wetness from my cheeks and lips. She placed her forehead against my chest just above the location where her lips had previously been, her head rising and falling in time with my now uneven breathing.

I moved my right hand to gently rest on the side of her head and entangled my fingers in her blond hair, eventually indicating for her to raise up to face me. As her body returned to a sitting position, her burgundy eyes locked onto my sapphire ones, and I noticed the pain in her eyes that she always tried so hard to mask was now fully exposed to me again, just as I had first witnessed in her audition so many weeks ago.

"_I need to stop..._" was a thought that whispered softly in my mind, but my body was unwilling to relent to the request.

I slid my hand down and cupped her face in my palm, which she leaned into while releasing a small breath. I moved my thumb to lightly brush against her lips, pulling down on the bottom one to part them slightly, silently wondering what it would be like to taste them. I leaned my body towards hers slightly, turning my gaze from her lips back to her eyes in an attempt to gauge a reaction to my most recent movement.

"Nano...ha..." Fate whispered to me in a ragged breath, as she then raised her left hand from my thigh to place her fingertips near my lips in return.

It was during this movement that a knock on our apartment door came from behind me and, although we both silently acknowledged the sound that had just occurred, neither of us relented from our current positions. It became an unspoken struggle between us to see if we were going to ignore the sudden intrusion and succumb our desires, or if we were going to allow the beautiful world we had just created shatter all around us.

A second knock, and Fate made her decision. "I'll get it," she said quietly, removing her hands from my body and standing up from the couch. As she walked towards the front of the room to answer the door, I placed one hand over my mouth and stared at the now empty spot in front of me, unclear on how I should react to her sudden departure from our moment.

I listened as Fate opened the apartment door and was greeted by Arf and Reinforce, who had been tasked with telling everyone of Carim's arrival. We were instructed to immediately head to Lindy's apartment for dinner and a meeting. I quickly put my sweater back on and silently headed out the apartment door behind Fate, grateful for the reprieve from the torrent of emotions that were threatening to consume me.

* * *

"Great job today, everyone!" Carim said after everyone had arrived and situated themselves around the apartment. "Uminari Production's is more than pleased with the result of your performance today, and they officially announced Riot Force 6's first concert date this evening. The good news for you all is that they pushed the date of the concert back a month than originally planned, to give you more time to prepare. The bad news is, you still have a lot of preparation to do."

I felt a little bit of relief when Carim announced we had an extra month to rehearse. There had been talk of us learning the vocals and choreography of 18 songs total for the first concert, including the six we already knew. Learning 12 new songs in just 8 weeks, with schoolwork now a factor in our lives as well, was a seemingly impossible task.

"Nanoha," Carim suddenly looked at me. "The production company wants you to travel to Tokyo to promote the group's first concert, since it is now official. They would have loved to have sent the whole group, but with schoolwork and rehearsals it is not possible, unfortunately."

"Oh," was all I said. I hadn't anticipated being separated from Fate and everyone else. The thought of being far away from everyone, even for a short time, was upsetting. "For how long?" I finally managed to ask.

"It is a one week promotion. You're flight leaves in three hours."

My eyes shot up and I immediately turned to Fate, who was seated next to me on Lindy's loveseat . She was staring back at me with a shocked expression on her face, and then she slowly turned her head away and stared at the floor in front of her.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and then looked around the room at everyone seated around me. They all were looking at me expectantly, waiting for a response.

"Hey guys, don't worry about it," I assured them. "I'm used to this sort of thing. I just want you all to focus on school and rehearsals, and I'll be back before you know it."

Hayate threw her hands up in the air. "Damnit, Nanoha! Don't just pretend like this doesn't just totally suck, and that you aren't going to miss us."

I laughed. "You're right, Hayate. It really does suck. I was just trying to be a strong team captain was all."

Signum was next to speak. "Okay then, in light of Nanoha's trip, Lindy and I have a come up plan for everyone this week." She attempted to join Carim in front of the group, tripping over Teana and Subaru seated on the floor in the process.

"Since school is starting again tomorrow we decided that you four," Signum continued, pointing to Teana, Subaru, Hayate, and Ginga, "are going to focus on schoolwork and only rehearsing the songs you already know this week."

Lindy walked up behind Fate and I on the loveseat. "Nanoha, I reviewed the promo schedule and it appears that most of your evenings are going to be free while you are in Tokyo. Would you be okay with learning the vocals to a new song while you are over there?"

"Of course!" I replied, grateful that I would have something to focus on while I was alone in my hotel room.

"Great! And Fate," she continued, "you will be learning the vocals as well, since the song is a duet with Nanoha."

A collective silence fell over the group. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Subaru cover a small laugh, to which Teana angrily slapped her arm. I didn't even attempt to look in Hayate's direction.

"A...duet?" Fate tentatively asked. Her face was blushing and she was still staring at the floor, unwilling to look in my direction.

Ginga had a finger to her chin in thought, and then raised her hand. "I'm curious, why a duet?"

"Fanservice," was Carim's quick reply. She proceeded to bend over and pick up a black tablet that had been resting on the coffee table. Quickly turning on the power button and punching in the password, she began pressing the application icons on her screen.

"This news article was posted about an hour ago online, and the company has decided to go ahead and allow the coverage without a rebuttal." She turned to the tablet screen face the group.

In giant red letters, the headline of the article screamed out at us, "**NANOHA IN LOVE?!**"

"Oh, _what the FU -?!_" I began as I stood up angrily, but immediately froze when Carim scrolled her finger on the screen to reveal a picture of myself and Fate smiling at each other. I recognized it as the moment at the end of the mini-concert today, when Fate had lifted me up in the air and spun me around happily.

"Geez Nanoha, you have got to stop hugging people at concerts," Hayate's voice joked from beside me.

I slumped back on the couch next to Fate, unable to think clearly about anything at that point.

Teana was the next speak. "So what do they have to... _do_, exactly?" she asked.

Lindy put her hands on mine and Fate's shoulders. "In public, they are going to give off the insinuation that there is a romantic interest between the two of them. Holding hands, hugging, lots of smiles. But there will not be an official confirmation or denial about their relationship status."

"Is that even_ legal_?" Teana cried out.

Carim smiled. "I know this may seem odd for everyone who is not used to this, but it is actually a very common practice in the entertainment industry." She paused for minute. "You know, you two look awfully cute together..."

"I think one staged romance is enough for now," Lindy interrupted. Subaru and Teana were visibly relieved.

"Nanoha, I think it's time you start getting packed for your trip," Signum reminded me. "Zafira and Arf are going with you, and they are almost ready to go."

I nodded, gave a quick hug to Fate, and waved goodbye to everyone else. I didn't have much time to think as a packed my things into a suitcase in a hurried pace, but that was fine. I had an entire plane ride ahead of me to figure out what I was going to do when I got back to Uminari, and had to start living my life as Fate's_ pretend_ girlfriend.

* * *

**A/N: **That was quite the chapter, right? Fate's big chapter is next! I know a few of you have been anxious to see her what happened to her in the past. I hope you guys come back to read it once it's posted!

Thank you to **everyone** for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. It is a lot of fun to share this story with you guys, and your reviews and follows really motivate me to keep it going. A special thanks to **shiranai **for the song suggestions, I plan to try to use all three in the story!


	6. Chapter 6 - Redemption

**A/N: **Once again, thank you for all the reviews and new followers! To **kuruchi**, yes I am a big fan of AKB48 and the anime AKB0048. I think at least half of my MP3 player is filled with their songs. I really like idols in general, since they bring a lot of joy and happiness to people.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

* * *

******Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 6 – **___**Redemption**_

* * *

___Fate looked over at the clock on her bedroom nightstand - - 2:44AM. She pressed the palms of her hands over her eyes, trying to will the images of the nightmare that just occurred out of her vision. As flashes of the scenes continued to crept into her consciousness, she exited her bed and walked out of her bedroom door. She made her way to the couch and turned on the TV, staring absentmindedly at the screen in front of her._

___Eventually she turned her head to look at the empty spot next to her on the couch, the one Nanoha usually filled with her endearing presence. She recalled what had occurred that afternoon on that same couch, when she and Nanoha were mere seconds, and inches, from altering their relationship forever. Fate, now unable to sleep without the sapphire-eyed girl by her side, recognized the power her companion had to fully enrich her days, and to keep her demons away at night._

___Nanoha had only left for Tokyo a few hours before, and Fate could already sense she was breaking down without her. "It's going to be a long week..." she thought bitterly._

* * *

**Fate POV**

I was standing in front of the full-length mirrors of the academy's empty dance studio during my lunch break, awaiting Hayate's and Ginga's arrival. It was our first day back at classes at the academy, and I had been struggling all morning to pay attention to the lectures of our new instructor, Shari. I was grateful for the distraction from my thoughts about Nanoha and her missing presence in my life.

"_A workout might help ease my mind..._" I thought as I placed one leg on the side bar near the mirrors and stretched my calf and hamstring.

"Man, you're flexible," Hayate's voice suddenly rang out behind me. In the mirror I spotted Hayate and Ginga near the front entrance, having just changed into their exercise clothing. "Must come in handy," she said with a wink in my direction.

I sighed at her gesture. With Nanoha not around, I had a feeling the brunt of Hayate's teasing innuendo was going to default to me until she returned. Hayate and Ginga placed their gym bags near the sound booth at the front of the studio, and I watched Hayate pull out a CD from her bag. She entered the booth and began turning on various pieces of equipment.

"How are you doing today, Fate?" Ginga asked me as we waited for Hayate to return. "I hate to say it, but you look a little tired."

"I am," I admitted. "I didn't sleep well last night." I didn't mention that the nightmare, or Nanoha's lack of presence in my bed, was to blame. As far as I knew, nobody knew about our sleeping arrangements these past few weeks.

"I'm sorry," Ginga replied sympathetically. "I would probably be in the same shape you are in if that idiot over there had to leave for a week."

Hayate returned to us a moment later, stretching her arms over her head and smiling. She had the remote to the CD player in her hand, which she passed on to Ginga. She indicated for me to follow her to the middle of the dance floor. "Okay, Ginga and I have the choreography for your duet with Nanoha, and we are going to show you the steps first. I'm going to be Nanoha's role, and Ginga will be performing your part. We had to practice this all night, but well, um, let's just say it was worth it." Hayate's eyes got a little wide for a second as she finished her statement, but then shook her head away as if to clear her thoughts. I wasn't about to ask her what it was she had just remembered.

I began walking to the middle of the dance floor, but stopped for a minute when I realized something. "Wait, why do you guys know the choreography of a song I'm doing with Nanoha?"

Hayate simply waved me off. "Because there are two of us, and you need dance partners to rehearse with this week, right? We volunteered to help until Nanoha came back!"

"Oh," was all I could say in response. I guess that made sense, and at least I could practice the song this week.

"We can only practice this one during lunch though, since we all have to practice the other songs after school," Hayate added.

Ginga pressed the play button on the remote and then handed it to me, joining Hayate in the middle next to us. I stepped back so I could observe their movements. The song started out slow, and the two of them were apart and starting to dance their steps separately. Ginga was the first to start singing the lyrics of the duet. The steps were slower than any other choreography the group normally performed, but the song was beautiful and the dance they were doing fit it perfectly.

It wasn't until the chorus began that we ran into a problem. Well, I ran into a problem. I quickly hit the pause button on the player. "What are you doing?" I asked, stunned at what I had just observed.

Ginga still had her leg wrapped around Hayate's waist, and Hayate had one hand under Ginga's thigh and the other on the small of her back. They were frozen in place with the sudden loss of music and remained face to face, their lips about three inches apart.

"What?" Hayate asked me innocently.

I looked away to the floor, embarrassed. "I can't do that with Nanoha!" I said, immediately feeling my cheeks beginning to flush.

Hayate and Ginga finally untangled themselves from their embrace. Hayate walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Fate, you will be fine. Come on, let's try practicing the first part instead." She took the remote out of my hand, pressed a few buttons to reset the song, and then passed it to back Ginga.

As the song started to play again, Hayate began to dance in what could only be described as a misguided attempt at eroticism. She swayed her hips from side to side and moved her hands up and down her stomach and thighs, all the while motioning her hand and fingers towards me in a 'come-hither' motion.

"Come here, Fate," she said to me in a fake seductive voice as she danced. "Come to me. Pretend I am_ Nanoha_," she breathed out the name in an exaggerated raspy voice.

I threw my head back towards the ceiling and closed my eyes, wishing I was anywhere but the studio at that moment. "_Christ..._" was all I could mutter under my breath.

Ginga took turns pausing and starting the music as she taught me each portion of the dance that would be my role. Hayate patiently repeated the steps that would be Nanoha's part. Eventually we made it to the chorus, and I debated if I was ready to dance with Hayate like that or not.

"Okay, Fate, on 'Dakiyosete hoshii', you will wrap your leg around me, okay?" she reminded me.

I leaned over to whisper to her. "Ginga isn't going to be upset with me over this, is she?"

Hayate shook her head and smiled. "No, Ginga isn't like that."

I decided to it was best to just endure the situation, knowing that my reward would be something special I could share with Nanoha when she got back. As we went through the next steps, I began to notice a change in Ginga the more I danced with Hayate. It was becoming increasingly obvious that she found her girlfriend dancing with another woman, well, exciting.

_"It's going to be a **really** long week..._" I thought bitterly for the second time that day.

* * *

_~~Present Day, Tokyo~~_

**Third Person POV**

Nanoha sat down at the desk in her hotel room and opened up her laptop. She had a few hours between television appearances, so she wanted to check her email. Hayate had promised to send her the instrumentals and sheet music for her duet with Fate, since she had forgotten to bring them with her when she was hurrying to pack for her trip.

Seeing the new mail icon from Hayate, Nanoha smiled. Her best friend was always very good about following through with things like that. She was surprised to see a video also attached to the email, though. She clicked the play button, and Hayate's and Ginga's faces popped up on the screen, both waving.

"Hi Nanoha, hope you are having fun in Tokyo! The choreography to the duet was done last night, and Ginga and I are going demonstrate it for you so that you can practice your part when you get bored there. We are rehearsing with Fate too, so make sure you know it by the time you get back!" Hayate started to walk away from the camera, but then turned around to face the camera again. "Oh by the way, I'm doing your part and Ginga is doing Fate's, okay?"

Nanoha narrowed her eyes at the random video she was currently watching. She heard the music begin in the background, and watched Ginga begin singing while she slowly danced apart from Hayate, who was dancing her own steps as well. It was different from what the group normally did, but it wasn't bad and the song was actually quite lovely.

Nanoha was enjoying the show until the chorus came around and she witnessed the first dance step associated with it. She immediately shot up from the chair, stunned at the risque' movements now playing before her. Her face immediately blushed furiously when she thought of doing those movements with Fate.

She sat back down in the chair, placing her elbows onto the table and her head in her hands. "_Why is this happening to me?_" was all she could think to herself.

* * *

**Fate POV**

I learned about half of the choreography for the song during lunch, and then returned to class again. I resumed my inability to focus on my teacher's lessons, instead lost in my own internal dialogue. I was eight years old the last time I had sat in a classroom at Uminari Academy, back when my mother was still alive and tormented daily by my twin sister's death.

* * *

_~~Flashback, 10 Years Prior~~_

"Fate-chan, I wish I could sing like you," Alicia said to me, cheeks puffed out in a pout.

"But I'm no good! You can dance and you are really pretty, Alicia. You will definitely be a model someday" I replied. I was holding my sister's tiara for my mother, who was busy putting the finishing touches on Alicia's makeup.

"We are twin's Fate-chan! So you are pretty just like me," she replied, giggling.

I remained silent. No matter how many times my sister said things like that to make me feel better, I knew it wasn't true. Alicia had always been prettier than me, and that's why my mother entered her into beauty pageants and not me. My mother instead sent me to music lessons everyday, where I learned how to sing and play the piano. I never had any performances though - - just endless practices.

"Fate, can you please go find Alicia's shoes for her first walk?" my mother, Precia, requested while she fussed over my sister's curls around the now placed tiara. She let out a 'tsk' over one strand in particular, grabbing the hairspray and spraying for a few seconds.

I ran to the other end of the dressing room and opened my sister's suitcase, grateful to be able to help my mother in any way I could. She was always more stressed than usual on days when Alicia was competing, and I hated to see her unhappy.

"Number 6, Alicia Testarossa, we need you onstage," a stage hand announced from the dressing room doorway, looking at a clipboard.

My sister stood up, and my mother bent down in front of her, fixing the bow on the front of her dress one final time. "Okay, Alicia, remember to smile at the judges, okay? And say thank you when you leave the stage."

My sister beamed. "Okay, mom!" My mother smiled and reached down to squeeze her hand in encouragement.

Alicia then turned towards me and gave me a hug. "Wish me luck, Fate-chan!"

"Good luck, Alicia," I replied, and my mother and I watched her run away towards the doorway.

"Come on Fate, let's go," my mother said, standing behind me with her hands on both of my shoulders, guiding me out of the dressing room.

We made our way to our seats in the auditorium, and my mother fidgeted nervously as we waited for the pageant to begin. I knew it was best not to speak to her during these tense moments, so I held my hands in my lap and swung my feet a little. The production finally started ten minutes later than scheduled, and I watched my sister in awe as she walked, talked, and danced her way around the stage. Her transformation from my playful sister at home to serious performer always amazed me as I watched from the audience.

My mother usually stood up from her seat when Alicia was on stage, sometimes making motions to encourage my sister to act in a certain way or another. When it was time for her choreographed performance, I would catch my mom slightly mimicking the steps as she stood next to me.

My favorite time at the pageants were when they were over, when the tension my mother exuded was gone and I had my sister back again. Alicia usually did well in the rankings, and today was no exception. She had come in second place, but she was pouting over the result, so I made an attempt to cheer her up.

"Hey Alicia, let's play that racing game mom just bought us when we get home. I've been practicing on it a lot. I bet I could even win this time," I informed her.

"Yeah right, like you could ever beat me, Fate-chan!" she said mockingly. She then held her hands in front of her like she was holding a steering wheel. "Vvrrroooommmm," she hummed, then started running around the dressing room in circles.

I joined the game, and laughed as she eventually led me out of the dressing room and down the hallway. My mother was following behind us, pulling my sister's suitcase. "Don't go too far ahead of me, you two," she yelled behind us.

"Okay!" was our simultaneous response. We made our way to the stage wings and, seeing that the auditorium was empty, started running across the stage, still pretending to drive.

Alicia ran to the middle of stage and turned to face me, and then ducked her body down like she was going to charge at me. I laughed in response, waiting for her to come at me. When she had almost reached me, I moved out of the way so that she would miss me. As she ran past, she accidentally tripped over my left foot and began to stumble forward. Loosing her footing completely, she slid on her stomach a few feet and then I watched her fall off from the stage.

"ALICIA!" I screamed, and ran to the edge, falling onto my stomach and looking over. My sister was laying on her side and wasn't moving. "Alicia! Are you okay?!"

My mom, hearing my panicked screams, immediately ran onto the stage after seeing my position. She looked over the edge in panic. "Oh no, NO! Alicia!" She jumped off the stage, falling backwards a little before recovering and leaning forward over my sister's body.

"Please, no Alicia. Please be okay," she stated over and over.

After about ten seconds my sister reopened her eyes, looking confused at my mother's hovering face above her. "What happened?" she asked.

"Oh, thank God!" my mother exclaimed and embraced my sister. "You're okay. I was so worried. So worried..." she said as she rocked my sister in her arms.

Eventually my sister and mother began to rise from the floor, and suddenly I felt a stabbing pain in my heart. It made me lose my breath completely and I clutched at my shirt. At the exact same moment, Alicia wobbled on her feet and opened her mouth, and then immediately collapsed to the floor. Her eyes were wide and she gasped for breath, writhing on the floor for a few seconds, and then her body completely stopped moving.

My mother, who hadn't seen my sister collapse until she heard her hit the ground, turned and saw her daughter's eyes become lifeless within seconds. She rose a shaking hand to her mouth. "A..licia...?" she cried out in a whispered, horrified voice.

I could only sob and clutch at my heart in agony, as I helplessly watched the life leave my sister's body as well. I felt the moment she was gone, when the pain immediately ceased in my heart and a piece of my soul died along with her forever.

I grabbed fistfuls of hair in my hands and doubled over in grief with the sensation of our internal connection being severed forever.

"ALICIAAAAAAAA!" I screamed before losing consciousness myself.

* * *

As my sister's casket lowered into the ground, I threw the red flower on top of it, as I had been instructed to do by the priest presiding over the ceremony. He and I were the only ones remaining by the grave site, as all the other attendants had already left. Alicia's funeral was attended mostly by other pageant mothers and their daughters who were regular performers, along with my music instructor. My mother had schooled my sister and me from home herself, so we had no other friends or family in our lives.

My mother did not acknowledge the funeral at all, looking at me confused when I inquired where it was being held. "What funeral, Alicia?" was her response. I instinctively knew not to say anything further and I walked back to my bedroom, pulling the covers of my bed over my head in fear from my mother's apparent break from reality.

I had received a ride to the funeral from one of the other pageant mothers, who had seen me standing at the bus stop that morning and took pity on me. I had declined her offer for a ride home, opting to walk the four miles back to my house to delay being near my mother any more than necessary.

A few days after the funeral a police officer came to our house to deliver the official autopsy report for my sister. He was initially reluctant to leave it in my hands, even though I begged him to let me have it and not insist on seeing my mother. I froze in place when I heard her approach behind me and stare at the uniformed officer. She had locked herself in her bedroom since I had returned from the funeral, and this was the first time I had seen her since then.

"What is this?" She said loudly. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" she then screamed.

The officer's eyes grew wide at the sudden outburst, and I watched his hand shake as he silently offered the manila envelope in his hand to her. She immediately grabbed it, and then slammed the door in his face.

I didn't move, unsure what was going to come next from my mother who was now staring at me in rage. She grabbed my shoulders to turn me to face her and she shook me hard, manila folder still in hand. "Why are you doing this, Alicia?!"

I couldn't say anything, so I just closed my eyes and waited for the shaking to stop. Eventually it did, and my mother let go of my arms, leaving distinct bruising the shape of her fingers in her wake. She then flung the envelope at me, it's corner hitting me in the chest and then falling to the floor. She turned around and slammed her bedroom door, leaving me still standing in the hallway.

I dropped to my hands and knees and started crying, doing everything I could to hide the sounds of my sobs. I stayed in that position for about ten minutes, until I had calmed down and felt like I had no more tears left. I turned and sat down, crossing my legs in front of me and pulling the manila envelope off the floor and into my lap. I unclasped the metal holding the flap down, and removed the papers from the inside.

I didn't understand most of it, but I was able to figure out that my sister had an unknown heart defect that finally made it's appearance when she fell off the stage. As she had stood up, the tiny tear in her heart wall suddenly ripped open, killing her within seconds.

I took the autopsy report and hid it between my mattresses, praying that my mother would never find it.

* * *

_~~Flashback, 8 Years Prior~~_

It had been almost two years since Alicia had died. My mother had been on a combination painkillers, alcohol, and anti-depressants since, leading to unpredictable mood swings. There were times she would attempt to treat me kindly, usually accompanied by her calling me Alicia. There were more frequent times when her violent nature surfaced, leaving me huddled in my bedroom, trying to figure out the best way to heal from the injuries that had just been inflicted.

My life had become a struggle to feed and cloth myself when my mother was on the downside of one of her depression cycles. I had first stolen her bank card from her purse six months ago, when she had consumed a larger than usual amount of alcohol and was passed out for three days in her bedroom. I now had a routine of taking the card, using it, and then returning it without her noticing.

I had easily guessed the pin code as Alicia's birthday, and would go to the bank once a month to withdraw money from the ATM. I had to time the withdrawal in conjunction with her pension check being deposited each month. She had retired years before as a successful geneticist, and was currently drinking away her retirement fund. So far, she hadn't noticed the twenty dollars missing on the same day her checks were deposited.

I debated what I was going to buy in the grocery store. It was a complex game trying to figure out which sales would lead to the most amount of food, and I walked the aisles for quite some time weighing my options. While I was walking through the aisles, I began to absently sing to myself, not realizing how loud I was being.

"Excuse me, how old are you?" I heard from behind me, turning to see a police officer looking down in my direction. "Shouldn't you be in school right now?"

I scolded myself for not checking the calendar to see what day of the week it was. I immediately dropped the small basket I was carrying in front of me, and started running towards the front of the store to try to get away.

"Hey!" he yelled and immediately started chasing after me. I had almost made it to the exit when another officer suddenly stepped in front of me. I ran into him and fell backwards, falling really hard on my side. Before I could get up to try to escape again, the first officer caught up to me and had a hold of my arm.

"Hey, stop!" he said as I struggled in his grasp. "I just want to talk to you."

"I'm schooled at home by my mother," I tried to explain, lying. "I was just shopping to get supplies for a project was all."

"I see," he replied, looking back at my basket that was still in the middle of the aisle, noticing the rice, ramen noodles, and bulk saltine crackers I had in it. I then saw him looking at my hair and clothing carefully. I couldn't afford money for hair conditioner, and my shoes had large holes in the them. It was obvious that I was not well cared for physically.

"You know, I heard you singing just now. You have an incredible voice for someone your age," he said, looking at me curiously. "My sister is six years old, and she can sing really well, too. She was just admitted as a first year to Uminari Academy, actually."

I looked away, unclear on what that had to do with my current situation. I knew it was a school for talented children that my mother had considered putting Alicia into, before deciding to just school us herself before Alicia died.

"Hang on a second," he said, turning me over to the other officer as he pulled a cellphone out of his pocket. I watched as he scrolled through his contact list, finally selecting one and raising it to his ear.

"Hey, mom? Yeah hey, so can you give me the phone number of the recruiter for Uminari Academy?" A pause. "Yeah, I'll explain later. Just text me the number if you would, okay? Thanks."

He hung up, and after a minute he received a text message. He added the new number into his contact list, and then called it. "Hello, yes sorry for the unexpected call ma'am. My name is Officer Tiida Lanster; my sister Teana has just been admitted to the school?" He looked at me as the other person was speaking. "I agree, she has been talented since she was born, I swear. So, I know this is really unexpected, but I believe I have someone here you would like to meet..."

* * *

I looked around nervously at the office I was sitting in. It had very expensive looking furniture, and there were a lot fancy degrees in frames around the wall. The officer who initiated this meeting had driven me here, but unexpectedly had a call for service and needed to leave. He promised he would come pick me up after the meeting was over if needed, though.

The door to the office opened behind me, and I heard someone walk in and close it softly. A woman in a business suit walked past me and sat down at her desk, her long blond hair flowing behind her. "Hello, Fate. My name is Carim Garcia, and I'm the school administrator here. It's nice to meet you."

I nodded but didn't say anything. The situation was very strange to me, and I wasn't sure exactly why I was where I was right now.

She bent down and opened a cabinet to her desk, retrieving a file from it before closing it again. "So, you are wondering what is going on, I'm sure?

"Yes, I don't really know what I'm doing here," I admitted.

"Usually we don't accept unsolicited interview requests from the public like this, but we made an exception this time. You're last name is Testarossa, correct?" she asked.

"Yes, my mother's name is Precia Testarossa."

"And your sister is Alicia?" she asked as she opened up the file in front of her. I was shocked to see a picture of my sister paper-clipped to the front cover of the file. I had to suppress both tears of sadness and feelings of anger that a stranger so casually had a picture of my dead sister in their desk.

"Was," I said bitterly, not wanting to discuss the situation anymore with the woman. I felt tears begin to form in my eyes as I stared off to my left, willing them not to be shed in the stranger's office.

Carim slowly closed the file. "I see. My apologies, Fate. I had not been informed." I did not say anything in return, and I continued to stare in the same place as before.

Carim then opened a different desk drawer from the previous one, and pulled out another file and placed it on top of Alicia's. I watched out of the corner of my eye as she opened it, not wanting to appear overly curious. I glanced over quickly, and then turned my full attention to the file when I saw a picture of myself staring back from the file.

"What is going on here?!" I exclaimed.

Carim leaned back in her seat. "I know this is all very odd for you, Fate. But I would really like to explain everything before you make any decisions. Uminari Academy had attempted to recruit both you and Alicia a few years ago, but your mother would not seriously consider any of our proposals. One of our recruiters had seen Alicia demonstrate her talents at one of her pageants, and your music instructor, Griffith Lowran, had provided us with recordings of you singing. We contacted your mother many times, asking to allow at least one of you to be admitted here but she always refused, saying she preferred to school you at home instead."

I was unable to think clearly about what I had just been told. My mother had mentioned a few times that the Academy had been interested in Alicia, but she never once mentioned that they wanted me to attend as well.

"I'm here to tell you now Fate, the offer of admittance to the academy is still available to you if you are interested," she added.

I paused for a minute, and then emitted a small laugh as a shook my head. "That's impossible, my mother would never allow it."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Carim mused.

* * *

"Why are you here?! And with my daughter! I told you to never show your face around my family again," my mother barked at Carim. She and I were currently standing outside the front door to my home, my mother on the other side furiously staring at us.

"Testarossa-san, I am here today with admittance papers for Fate to Uminari Academy. I expect that you will fully cooperate in this situation, and I will be leaving with them signed by you today."

Precia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And what makes you think you have any right to tell me what to do with my daughter?"

Carim pulled me in front of her, hands on my shoulders. "Precia Testarossa! Look at your daughter this instant! She was brought to my office by the_ police_, who were concerned for her physical well-being. I don't think I need to tell you the implications of what may happen if you refuse to allow Fate a chance at a better future."

My mother looked at me up and down, seeming to recognize the poor state I was in after having ignored it for two years. She crossed her arms over her chest, but had visibly yielded in some of her defiance. "What if I won't pay for Fate's attendance to the academy?" she asked.

"You are well aware that that is not an issue here, Precia," Carim flatly stated.

Precia rolled her eyes one more time but then held out her hand in front of her. Carim silently handed her the paperwork and a pen, and she hastily signed next to all the yellow indicators throughout the document. She then shoved the papers back to Carim, who tucked them away into a folder.

"So now what?" Precia asked.

"Now," Carim replied, "I am taking Fate to get her uniform, since she starts school tomorrow."

"Whatever," my mother said as she turned to slam the door in front of us. Carim paused a moment, and then turned towards me. "Come along, Fate. We have a lot of things to get you before tomorrow."

* * *

I arrived home that evening with school supplies and a rectangular white clothing box that held my new uniform. Carim was hesitant to let me return to the house after what had happened earlier.

"Fate, if you want I can try to - " she began.

"No," I interrupted. "I have to be here. She is still my mother, and I need to be with her."I paused. "She wasn't always like this, you know...?"

Carim put her hand on my head and stroked my hair. "Okay, Fate. But if anything bad happens call me immediately. I'll be over right away."

I nodded, and exited the vehicle with everything loaded in my arms. With every step I took, I felt my confidence fading but I knew I did not have any choice but to face my mother.

I entered the house as quietly as I could and shut the door behind me. I didn't see my mother in the kitchen or living room, and felt slightly relieved that she might have locked herself in her bedroom. I made my way upstairs and opened my bedroom door. I was almost walking through it when I heard my mother's bedroom door open behind me. She walked as fast as she could towards me and I froze in place, mentally preparing myself for whatever physical punishment was soon to follow.

My mother raised her hand in the air, posed as if ready to strike me, but then stopped. She gave one more motion like she was about to hit me, but then turned and punched the wall right beside my head. She left it here, and I saw blood coming from her knuckles.

She leaned forward and growled in my ear. "First you killed Alicia, and now you want to take her place at the school she always wanted to go to, is that it? I hope you're happy with yourself," she snarled as she walked away. She reached her bedroom door and, looking over her shoulder, delivered her final blow. "You should have been the one to die that day."

* * *

I was seated in my new desk at school, unsure of where to look or what to do. I had never attended school before in my life, and I was extremely nervous about the mistakes I would make there.

"Hi, are you new here?" came a voice from behind me.

I turned my head slightly to acknowledge the person's presence and nodded, although I wouldn't raise my head any farther to look at them. The person paused beside me, and then bent down next to my desk. My vision was instantly filled with the most beautiful color of sapphire I had ever seen. The girl looked intently at me with her chin resting on my desktop, slightly looking up into my eyes. Her gaze seemed to pierce right through me, and I felt raw and exposed before her.

"I'm Nanoha. Nanoha Takamachi," she said.

"Fate Testarossa."

She thought for a moment. "Nyahaha, I like that. It's good to meet you, Fate-chan..."

* * *

_~~Present Day~~_

The week passed by slowly for me as I grew accustomed to the new schedule that now included classes and schoolwork. I spent every lunch break with Hayate and Ginga that week, perfecting the choreography for the duet. My nightmares did not occur every night that week, but they occurred often enough that sleep still alluded me, as I was often afraid to close my eyes and have the images of my mother beating me flood back, even as I was conscious.

On the afternoon Nanoha was to arrive back from Tokyo, Lindy approached me. "Fate, Vita and I are about to go pick up Nanoha and the others from the airport. Would you like to join us?"

"Yes!" was my immediate response. I felt elated that I would get to see her sooner than I thought I would be able to that day.

We all got into an SUV and made our way to the airport. Lindy was driving, asking me questions about school and rehearsals in her rear view mirror. Those gestures she occasionally did like that made me smile, when she stopped being a manager and was more like a mother figure to me.

Lindy parked the SUV and Vita got out, and she started making her way to the area where she could collect Nanoha, Arf, and Zafira, and escort them back to the SUV. Lindy and I discussed the upcoming concert, if we thought Signum and Shamal were in love, and how much we thought Ginga had been a good influence on Hayate to pass the time.

It was about half an hour before I finally saw the group we had been waiting for start across the parking lot towards where we were parked. Nanoha was in the middle of the group, chatting and smiling with Arf. I knew that she would not be able to see me inside due to the tinted windows, and I hoped that Vita stayed true to her word that she would not tell Nanoha I was waiting in the SUV.

Nanoha passed her bag to Zafira to place in the cargo area, and Vita then opened the passenger door to let Nanoha in. She had climbed about halfway through the door when she saw me sitting in the backseat.

"FATE-CHAN!" she exclaimed, and immediately climbed across the bench seat to crash into me. I head her tightly, allowing all my senses to enjoy her embrace. She felt warm against my body, and her familiar vanilla scent was intoxicating as always. She pulled away a little bit to face me, and then pressed her forehead against mine and stared at my eyes intently.

"I missed you, Fate-chan...I missed you so much," she said softly to me.

"Me too, Nanoha," I said in return, watching as the beautiful sapphire eyes seem to dance excitedly before me.

Lindy smiled, gently breaking our reunion. "Okay, let's get buckled up everyone. Fate, I forgot to mention it before, but we need to stop by the mall to pickup some things for you and Nanoha for later this week. You guys are going to be having some interviews this weekend, and the production company wants you both to try some things on first, okay?"

We both agreed. Going out in public could be a bit of an ordeal at times, but Vita and Zafira were always good about keeping overeager fans at bay. It could be fun to spend some time at the mall with Nanoha.

As Lindy pulled the vehicle up to the front of the mall, we were greeted by a swarm of paparazzi outside the vehicle. "What are they doing here?" Nanoha groaned.

Vita looked out the window at the frantic crowd. "Damn, looks like someone must have leaked where you guys were headed. Guess we will have to try again later."

I looked at the crowd, and then glanced at Lindy, who had not begun to drive the vehicle away yet. She was facing forward, staring through the windshield and smiling blankly. She finally turned around in her seat to look at me and Nanoha, her face plastered with a permanent grin.

"Girls," she finally began, "there comes a time in every performer's life - "

"Hey, wait a minute Lindy-san, you never drive!" Nanoha interrupted, and then gasped. "_This is a setup..._" she whispered angrily.

I still hadn't quite grasped what had Nanoha so upset. "I don't think I understand."

"Us arriving together - - a day at the mall, trying on clothes. This is a pretend date, isn't it?" Nanoha aimed at Lindy.

"Now girls, you just go and show them the same enthusiasm I saw when you first got into the SUV at the airport, Nanoha!" She then reached behind her and opened the passenger door that Vita was next too.

"Ah, Lindy, damnit I wasn't ready!" Vita yelled, trying to push the cameras out of the vehicle that were suddenly intruding inside the cabin to take pictures.

Zafira calmly opened the door next to the front passenger seat he was currently in, exiting the vehicle slowly and steadily. He walked around the front of the SUV, and eventually came to stand in front of Vita's door. The cameramen, having seen Zafira approaching, backed off from the SUV and put their cameras down, as if to beg mercy from the muscular bodyguard.

"Nanoha?" I started nervously, looking past her at the crowd of cameras.

She grabbed one of my hands and squeezed, giving me a reassured smiled. "It'll be okay, Fate. Let's go."

Vita exited the vehicle, followed by Nanoha and then me. Arf had been in the back cargo area on one of the temporarily fold out seats, and she climbed over the bench seat in front of her to exit next. Lindy exited at the same time, and the four of them created a barrier around myself and Nanoha as we slowly made our way to the entrance. The questions the cameramen were throwing out at us shocked me a little.

_"Fate, is Nanoha a good kisser?"_

_"How long have you two been together?"_

_"Any future plans between you two?"_

We made it inside the mall, and the frenzy around us seemed to subside a little. The cameramen were still hovering around us and taking pictures, waiting for us to do something, I assumed.

My hand brushed Nanoha's as we walked. I saw her think for a moment, and then come to a conclusion. "I guess you can try holding my hand," she said in a whisper to me.

"Oh, right," I responded. I first attempted to take her hand and missed. I then made a second attempt and grabbed it at an awkward angle, my hand grasping only three of her fingers. Nanoha tried to adjust her hand, and we finally managed to hold hands palm to palm. "Should my hand be on top, or yours you think?" I asked her. Nanoha just shook her head, seemingly finished with worrying about our hand placements.

The cameramen laughed a little at our clumsy display but continued to take pictures around us. We then proceeded to one of the first shops on the list and made our way to the front counter. We were greeted by a dozen members of the staff of the store. I assumed they were all there due to the fact that celebrities where arriving.

We were doing some photo ops with them and signing autographs with people through the store. Nanoha showed me something she drew under her autograph and I laughed. A cameraman beside me took our laughter as an opportunity. "Hey, how about a little hug between you two?"

Nanoha went to politely decline, but then saw Lindy's face from behind his, giving her a look that made it perfectly clear that it would be in our best interests if we went ahead and hugged.

Nanoha turned towards me and held her arms out to her sides. I did the same, and we started to approach each other, but realized we were leaning into the hug in the same direction and it wouldn't work. We both simultaneously moved to approach from the other angle. We danced like that a few more times before Nanoha just scowled and said to me quietly, "Just go left, Fate."

Once we were hugging I wasn't quite sure what to do with my hands and arms exactly, so I just had them loosely hanging around her body, eventually giving her an hard, awkward pat on the back. "Ow," Nanoha cried, instantly pulled back to pout at me.

I then noticed that it had gotten suddenly quiet around us. Nanoha turned around and looked at the cameramen, who had all put their cameras at their sides, unsure what to make of our recent display. She abruptly left the scene and walked out of the store to the next destination, not waiting for any of us, including the bodyguards.

We made it to the second store on the list after we had all caught up with Nanoha. She immediately walked over to a rack of clothes and picked out an neon pink extra large t-shirt. She held it up in front of her face and then motioned me over to join her behind it.

"_This is the worst experience of my life!_" she said in a whisper to me through clenched teeth, although she was still smiling and waving at everyone walking past.

I grabbed the hideous shirt she had in her hands. "I'll just pretend like I came here to get this and then we can go." I balled up the shirt and held it up slightly above my head, smiling and pointing towards it in Lindy's direction. She looked confused but confirmed that I could have the shirt. I grabbed Nanoha by the wrist and started dragging her out the door.

"Okay, Lindy-san, we found everything we need so lets go!" I said, quickly walking us past her so that she wouldn't have a chance to respond.

Lindy didn't catch up to us until we had almost reached the SUV. "Are you sure that's all you need? The mall is still open for - "

"Nope, we're good!" I said, quickly entering the vehicle and pulling Nanoha in. Once we settled in she immediately clung to me, burying her face in my neck. I began to stroke her hair to comfort her as we started to drive away, this time with Zafira in the driver's seat.

"Well, that was... interesting," Lindy finally said. "Why don't we head back to the apartment so you can get some rest, Nanoha?"

She shook her head. "No, everyone is at the studio rehearsing right now, right? I want to see them and say hi. I missed them a lot."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

* * *

A/N: This chapter was originally supposed to have Nanoha and Fate's friendship as 8-year-olds AND the duet, but of course it became long enough with just Fate's story and alone. So the next chapter is going to be all NanoFate goodness! I'll try to do the best job I can with it. Until then! =^..^= Nissanity


	7. Chapter 7 - Devotion

**A/N: **This is easily my favorite chapter of the story, and I hope you enjoy reading it as well! More author's notes at the end of the chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

**Song References:** _Innocent Starter_ by Nana Mizuki

_ Magnet_ – Vocaloid (流星P/Ryuusei-P)

* * *

******Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 7 – **_**Devotion**_

* * *

___~~Flashback, 8 Years Prior~~_

**Fate POV**

My thighs began to ache and my lungs burned as I ran down the middle of the courtyard of Uminari Academy. Unfamiliar with the campus layout, I was frantically searching for a new path from the one I was currently on. I glanced behind me, and the copper-haired girl who had tried to approach me before class that morning was not relenting in her chase of me in the slightest.

Recognizing that my body could no longer sustain the pace in which I was running, I slowly came to a halt on the path under a grove of cherry blossoms, which I had just entered after turning right from the main courtyard path.

"Why were you chasing me?" I asked as I turned around to face her, breathing hard.

She had slowed her pace when she saw that I was no longer running, eventually stopping herself. She bent over to hold her hands against her knees in an attempt to catch her breath.

She finally looked up at me. "Because you were running away!" she replied between gasps.

I frowned for a second at her uninformative response, and then rephrased my question. "So, what do you want from me?"

She smiled and stood up straight, her breathing still a bit rushed. "I..." she began, but then put a finger to her chin and looked at the ground for a few seconds, lost in thought. Eventually she smiled again and raised her head up to face me. "Nyahaha, I kind of forgot now..."

I exhaled a breath and began to turn away from her.

"Oh wait, Fate-chan! I remember now," she suddenly called out.

"Yes?" I replied over my shoulder, not allowing my eyes to meet hers.

"I wanted to have lunch with you today," she said, finally remembering her intentions.

I turned to face her fully again. "Lunch with me? But you don't even know me?" I was surprised by the actions of the girl in front of me, who seemed unswayed by my attempts to distance myself from her, either physically or verbally.

"Geez Fate-chan, how else would I get to know you?" she questioned in return with a hint of sarcasm, rolling her eyes but still smiling.

"Why?" I asked quietly.

"Why what?"

I narrowed my eyes at her in skepticism. "Why are you so interested in talking to me?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. She then shifted her sapphire eyes to the side shyly. "It's because...your_ eympfhn sdf_..." she trailed off in an indecipherable mumble.

I remained silent, unsure if I actually wanted to know what it was that she had attempted to say.

She continued to look away from me, and I saw her begin to blush a little as she retried her statement. "Um, your eyes... They are really pretty, but they look sad too..."

My eyes opened wide at first with the unexpected compliment, but I then frowned again when I realized her observation in the latter part of her statement. I continued to say nothing, neither confirming nor denying her assertion.

"You don't have to tell me why, Fate-chan," she continued after a moment of tension. "I just want to help you, if I can."

Images of the previous day began to cross my mind. The officer who initially called the school on my behalf did so because that was his job. And Carim pushed my mother to let me attend the school for the same reason. I was convinced of both those facts. I then recalled the conversation with my mother the night before, when she reminded me of my responsibility for my sister's death. If the officer or Carim had known that I was the one who killed my sister, they surely wouldn't have wanted to help me yesterday. I wasn't about to let this girl do the same for me, either.

"I never asked for anybody's help," I concluded, and began to walk past her towards the school again. My shoulder slightly bumped hers in the process, and our eyes met as I made the physical contact. I saw an enormous amount of rejection and hurt in her eyes and I instantly regretted my action, but I still continued to increase the distance between us.

"_This is for the best..._" I thought bitterly, hoping that she would accept that I was not going to allow her into my world, and that I would never have to see Nanoha's beautiful sapphire eyes in a state like that again because of me.

* * *

"Fate-chan, will you taste this for me?"

I looked up from my desk and saw Nanoha standing beside me, holding an open bento box in my direction. I narrowed my eyebrows in question at her but said nothing.

"I made these last night, and I was wondering if you could tell me if you think it is any good? It's a new recipe I'm trying out," she further explained.

I looked at her and then to the bento box. Inside it I spotted two rice balls with seaweed wraps at their bases, and she had used sesame seeds to form eyes and a smile on each of them.

"It's okay, I don't - " I began.

Nanoha began to pout at me. "Fate-chan, how am I supposed get better if people don't tell me what they think?" she scolded, interrupting my attempt at rejecting the food.

I looked again at the tempting dish in front of me. I had been attending school for four days and had not returned to the store to buy food since the incident with the police officer. My mother had discovered the unspent twenty dollars in my room when I was in class the first day, and she assumed Carim had given it to me.

"What, she thinks she can just buy my daughter now, too?!" she had screamed at me when I got home, confiscating the money. She left my room and stormed down the hallway, eventually slamming her bedroom door shut and locking it.

I had already run out of food before the failed shopping trip, so I had nothing to bring for lunch since I started attending school. Allowing my hunger to overtake my pride, I picked up one of the rice balls tentatively from the bento box. Nanoha watched me closely as I took at bite, her face wracked with suspense.

"This is really good!" I exclaimed in surprise. Even though I knew I would savor the taste of almost anything at that point, I recognized that the food in my hand was exceptionally well-made and flavorful.

She immediately let out a sigh of relief, and she beamed at me. "Thank you, Fate-chan! I tried really hard on them! Here, you can have the other one, too. I've already had enough to eat today."

I carefully took the bento box from her hand and set it on my desk, as if it were a prized treasure that I couldn't believe I had just won. It was a struggle to not devour the food immediately, as I didn't want to appear desperate to everyone around me. I consumed both rice balls quickly, and for the first time in years I felt a satisfaction to my hunger that had plagued almost every moment in my recent memory.

Nanoha, who had returned to her own desk while I was eating, was standing next to me again after I was done. I handed the now empty bento box up to her.

"So, they really were good?" she asked again, her eyes searching mine intently.

I nodded. "Yes, they were delicious."

Nanoha pulled the box to her chest and bounced a few times while biting her lower lip, her eyes dancing in excitement. I could tell she was having a hard time containing her happiness with my response. "Thank you, Fate-chan!"

With that, she walked away and returned to her seat behind me. I stared at my own desk and attempted to mask the look of content on my face, although I couldn't help but allow the corners of my lips to form a smile at what had just occurred.

The following day, Nanoha made another request for my assistance with a new recipe. I again tried to reject the offer, only to quickly accept it when I saw her eyes begin to fill with tears. The food was just as spectacular as the day before, and I was once again filled with a sense of satisfaction.

On the third day, when Nanoha had yet another recipe for me to sample, I realized what she was doing. She had most likely noticed my lack of lunches and was attempting to provide for me, without trying to cause me embarrassment. Sensing that I was now aware of her intentions, she decided to change tactics as she offered me the food.

"Oh wow, look Fate-chan, there's a cat outside!" she said, pointing to the window that was nearest my left shoulder.

"Huh?" I said, turning my head to look in the direction was pointing. Noticing no such cat in the area, I turned back to her. "Nanoha, what are you - ?" I began, but as I turned back around she was no longer standing next to me. I began to turn my body to search for her when my hand brushed up against something on my desk. Looking down, I saw the bento box she had previously offered me, before the distraction.

I turned around in my seat fully and noticed she had returned to sit at her desk. She refused to meet my gaze, pretending to be interested in her textbook on her desktop. I decided I would accept the food without question today, but would be firmer in my rejection tomorrow.

Coincidentally, Carim had left a cafeteria pass in my locker that afternoon, with a note apologizing for not remembering to issue it to me when I first started. The next day, before Nanoha could approach me at lunch, I quickly exited the classroom when the lunch bell rang and made my way to the cafeteria. I used the lunch pass to buy some curry bread and milk, and then returned to my classroom to sit at my desk.

On my way back to my seat I met Nanoha's eyes briefly, who had observed the food in my hands, before she turned away from me to stare out the window. I knew that my actions would initially hurt her feelings, but I also knew I could not allow myself to become a burden to her, no matter how noble her intentions might be.

She never asked for my opinion on a recipe again after that.

* * *

It had now been two months since I had started attending school, and Nanoha no longer tried to approach me. I would always feel her intense gaze upon me whenever we were in close proximity to each other, but she no longer attempted to break through the invisible barriers I had erected all around me.

On the anniversary of my third month at Uminari Academy, Carim requested a meeting with me in her office. She inquired about my lack of after-school activities, curious to see if I would be interested in joining the Music Theory Club, since I had been trained so many years before by Griffith. She provided me with information on the club, which I placed in my backpack before setting off on my journey home.

My mother was standing in the living room when I arrived at the house. I hadn't noticed her figure in the dimly lit room when I first entered, but as I turned to shut the front door an empty liquor bottle suddenly burst next to my head against the wall.

I turned in shock after the loud crash, my ears ringing from the explosion. My mother was stumbling towards me, her face in sheer rage. "So wah, ya think your better 'din Alicia?" she slurred while approaching me.

Unclear on what she was alluding too, I could only press my back against the door and place my arms up to my chest in an attempt to protect myself, my body trembling in fear.

"Put your arms _down_," she commanded. Her face was uncomfortably close to mine, and the overwhelming smell of vodka and her looming figuring caused a sense of nausea to build in me.

I complied with her demand slowly, eventually placing my hands palms down against the door. My mother suddenly pulled back her arm and punched me in my stomach before I could react. I immediately fell to my knees, having had the wind knocked out of me. I gasped for air but was unable to fill my lungs, and I could only hold my stomach in pain and wait for my body to being functioning properly again.

My mother grabbed my backpack from the floor and tore the zippers open, furiously going through it. She pulled out the Music Theory Club's brochure that Carim had provided earlier and thrust it at my face. "No!" she yelled. "No. Alicia danced, 'n she was gonna be a model. You took her away from me, Fate." She then proceeded to tear up the brochure and threw the bits of papers in front of me. "Never again," she finally finished, and then stumbled to her bedroom to lock herself away from me again.

I could only stare at the torn bits of paper in my vision, my breath finally having returned to me after a minute. I reached up absently to touched the side of my head that the bottle had exploded next to, and retracted my hand immediately when I felt a sharp pain. Returning my hand to the area, I proceeded to pull out a piece of glass that had embedded itself in my cheek. I recognized the distinct feeling of blood dripping now from the wound, but did nothing to try to remove it from my face.

The next morning, I returned to Carim's office to inform her I would not be joining the Music Theory Club as she requested. She took notice of the bandage now covering a wound on my face, and she instantly regretted her decision to phone Precia yesterday to request permission for me to join. I picked up my backpack and left her office before she could say anything else on the subject.

At lunch that afternoon, I was walking down the path of the main courtyard towards the cafeteria when I felt a hard shove from behind me, the force sending me crashing forward to the ground. I immediately turned to face my attacker, and noticed the blond-haired girl with spiteful green eyes from my class was looking down at me. The girl with purple hair was standing next to her, looking horrified at her friend.

"So what, you think you are better than us, too? That's why you won't join the Music Theory Club?" she spat at me.

"Alisa! Stop!" her friend begged as the blond made a motion to attack me again. Too shocked to respond, I immediately closed my eyes and awaited the assault. I unexpectedly heard a loud slap instead, and I quickly opened my eyes to see a figure standing above me in a defensive posture.

"Why are you defending that snob, Nanoha?" I heard the blond say, holding her cheek. In the glare of the sunlight, I could make out Nanoha's face, her eyes wide and full of rage at the girl standing before her. "She doesn't deserve it. After all, she hurt you the most, didn't she?"

I saw Nanoha's fist clench in fury. "Get out of here, Alisa. And don't you ever touch her again, do you understand me?" she growled.

"Whatever," the blond replied angrily, and then walked past us, glaring down at me one last time.

"I'll go talk to her," the purple haired girl said, and then I saw her legs walk past me as well.

Nanoha stood still for a few seconds after the two girls left, and then moved to allow me room to stand up. Once I had returned to my feet, I felt a stinging at my elbow but made no motion to look at it. I was instead watching Nanoha, who was standing in front of me with her head down, hands still clenched at her sides.

"She was right, you know? You did hurt me, Fate," she finally said softly. I noticed the lack of honorific, and I felt a chill at the sadness apparent in her voice.

"I... I didn't -" I began.

"Didn't mean to?" she finished for me. "I know. Don't worry, it's okay. I know now you weren't interested in being friends with me. You just didn't know how to say it was all." With that, she turned and walked away from me.

I could do nothing but stand in the middle of the courtyard and watch her figure become more distant from mine. I had had no idea that in my quest to protect someone I cared for, I had caused enormous amounts of pain in my wake instead. I clutched the strap of my backpack tightly and ran towards the entrance of the school, quickly exiting the campus and not returning to class for the rest of the day.

* * *

A few months after the incident in the courtyard I was sitting at my desk, studying for a test that was about to occur at the beginning of class. I overheard Nanoha's voice from behind me, but I made no acknowledgment that I was ease-dropping on her conversation.

"Yeah, Signum said she was going to teach me some more dance steps tomorrow!" she said happily to a classmate next to her. There was chatter among the girls around her, excited for Nanoha that she had the attention of the talented upperclassman.

"Do you think she would want to teach me, too?" one of the girls asked.

"Nyahaha, who knows? Signum's a good teacher, so maybe!" she replied.

I became engrossed in my own thoughts as I imagined Nanoha dancing, which in turn led me to remember the pageants where Alicia performed choreographed movements countless times in front me. I smiled to myself, thinking that Alicia and Nanoha probably would have gotten along really well together. The thought brought the sensation of tears to my eyes, but I quickly pushed them down as the teacher walked into the room and instructed us to put everything away for the test that morning.

That afternoon when I returned home from school, my mother was in the kitchen, staring at the the empty kitchen counter. I knew she was more lucid than usual, as her eyes were not glossed over from the consumption of alcohol that afternoon.

"How was your day at school, Fate?" she abruptly asked me.

I stopped in my tracks, overwhelmingly shocked by her question. I turned and walked towards the kitchen, unsure what the result of this conversation would be.

"I-It was okay," what all I could manage to respond.

She nodded but said nothing else. I was about to walk away towards my bedroom when she stopped me again. "Is that all you have to say to me?" she asked, a hint of danger in her voice. I frantically began searching my mind for a subject that I could discuss with her that wouldn't enrage her.

"Some girls in my class are thinking of taking dance lessons from one of the upperclassman at school?" I stated quickly, leaving it as an open-ended question, hoping that the reference to dancing would be acceptable.

She slowly crossed her arms and stepped away from the kitchen counter, beginning to walk in my direction. "And what are you going to do about it?"

I started trembling, knowing that there was most likely no right answer to the question as my mother came closer to me. "Um..." I began.

My mother stopped in front of me, her arms still crossed. "Hmmm?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well, there's a girl named Nanoha who says that - " I began, but was immediately stopped by my mother when she grabbed my chin in her palm, squeezing my cheeks with her fingers, making it so that I could no longer speak.

"Fate," she said, staring into my eyes menacingly, "I thought you knew by now that the only important person is Alicia?" She laughed a little and then bent forward, placing her mouth next to my ear. "If I so much as see you _look_ at this 'Nanoha' again," she whispered, "I will kill her. Do you understand, Fate?"

I nodded my head furiously in compliance, to which my mother replied, "Good girl!" as she walked away from me.

From that day on, I made every attempt possible to distance myself from the girl that my mother had so casually threatened. I could sense Nanoha's growing frustration at my actions as I pushed her further and further away, but I knew the danger she would in if my mother ever decided to make good on her promise. The thought of her being harmed in any way made me mentally recoil in horror, and my resolve to keep her safe overtook any desire I had to relent on my mission to protect her, or to beg her for her forgiveness.

* * *

Towards the end of my first school year, the academy had it's annual round of recruiters come to assess selected students. I had not paid any attention to the much anticipated event, as I had not been in any clubs nor pursued singing at all during the school year. These facts did not sway Carim, however, as she requested a meeting with me in her office.

"Hello, Fate, how are doing today?" she asked me casually. She was seated in her office chair behind her desk, and there was a teal-haired woman sitting at one of the desk chairs across from Carim, her back to me as I entered the room.

"I'm doing very well, Carim-san," I replied.

"And how is your mother?" she asked.

"She is doing much better, thank you for asking," I lied. I didn't quite understand the reason for the verbal game we were playing, since we did not normally have fake conversations like this. I knew instinctively to play along though, figuring it had something to do with the unknown woman currently sitting in her office.

"Fate, this is Lindy Harlaown," Carim formally began. "She is currently contracted with Uminari Productions as an expert in seeking new talent for the company. Lindy, this is Fate Testarossa."

I bowed in greeting to her, and she smiled at me in return. I noticed that she had a warm and inviting presence, and my normal inclinations to distrust an unfamiliar person were not present in her company.

"Lindy has requested recommendations for students that I believe show potential as strong vocal performers, and I have suggested you as one of the top candidates here at the school," Carim continued.

I was unable to hide the look of surprise on my face at the announcement. "B-but, Carim-san, I haven't ..." I caught myself, not wanting to finish the sentence and risk embarrassing her or myself in front of Lindy.

Lindy laughed a little. "Don't be nervous, Fate. I can tell from just a few sentences that this will have been well worth my time. Why not sing something acapella for me? Anything is fine."

I glanced nervously between Carim and Lindy, my heart beginning to race in my chest and my hands trembling. Carim stood up from her desk and, in an unexpected show of affection, embraced me.

"Fate, listen to me," she said softly. "I believe in you. After everything you have been though, you deserve this chance. Please, allow yourself to take it."

My eyes looked in shock at Carim, who was now returning to sit at her desk. I swallowed hard a few times, trying to suppress the range of conflicting emotions raging inside of me. Eventually I cleared my throat and refocused my mind, trying to recall my music lessons so long ago with Griffith, whom I had not seen since the day of my sister's funeral.

I looked up at Lindy, took a deep breath, and began singing an acapella version of a song that instantly brought visions of pained sapphire eyes before me. I suddenly wished that their owner was standing in front of me to hear my versed apology herself.

_(Hiza wo kakaete heya no katasumi/ Itsumo fuan de furueteita/ Hontou wo shiru koto ga kowakute tobira wo tojita)_

**Hugging my knees in the corner/ I was always shaking from my unease/ **

**Knowing the truth is frightening, I closed the door**

_(Yasashii uso ni ibasho wo mitsukete yume no naka ni nigekonda/ Daremo shiranai kodoku no umi wo fukai ao ni someteku)_

**I sought a place to belong in a gentle lie, and took refuge in dreams/ **

**This sea of loneliness that nobody else knew was dyed a deep blue.**

_(Sabishisa kakusu ichizu na omoi/ Kimi no kokoro wo kizutsukete iru)_

**With my earnest desire to hide my loneliness/ I wounded your heart**

_(Hitomi no oku no himitsu suikomaresou na egao no ura no shinjitsu ni/ Yawarakana ai boku ga todoke ni yuku yo)_

**In the secret inside my eyes, in the reality behind my smile that draws you in/ **

**There is a tender love that I'm going to send to you**

_(Furetara kowaresou na nukumori ga ima kako wo hanare afuredaus/ Zutto soba ni iru kara kanashii kage ni madowanaide...)_

**If you touch it, that fragile warmth will pour out into the present from the past/ **

**I'll always be by your side, so don't feel lost in the sad shadows...**

"...Fate? It's okay Fate, you can stop now," came Lindy's gentle voice after I finished the first chorus. I opened my eyes, not realizing I had closed them at some point during the song. I looked down and noticed that I had been hugging myself tightly, and tears suddenly fell onto my crossed arms. I had been lost in visions of Nanoha, replaying all the looks of joy and sadness that I had witnessed in the time I had known her.

"Carim-san, we'll be in touch, yes?" she turned to the blond-haired woman and bowed slightly. She then turned her attention back to me. "Fate, you are a very special young woman. We will be in touch in the future, but please do not hesitate to call me if you ever need anything before then, okay?"

I felt Lindy place something in my palm before giving Carim one last acknowledgment, and then she exited the office. I looked down at my hand and noticed that she had given me her business card. I turned it over and saw a number in handwritten letters, with the phrase 'personal phone#' underneath.

Carim just nodded her head towards me, and I silently picked up my backpack and left her office. My mind was still reeling from the events that had just occurred, especially my reaction to the song I had secretly dedicated to the one person I was forced to stay the farthest away from.

* * *

A few days after the event in Carim's office, I was exiting my bedroom to leave for school as usual. I turned my head and noticed that my mother's bedroom door was open, something that I had not witnessed since before Alicia's death. I slowly made my way down the hall, walking as quietly as possible to avoid alerting my mother to my presence.

I stood in her doorway and tentatively looked inside. My vision was immediately drawn to my mother's body, lying three quarters of the way on the bed, facing the ceiling. Her torso was covered only by a worn-out bra that had probably been white at first, but was now stained a brownish-yellow from years of sweat and lack of bathing. My eyes scanned up to her dresser and I noticed a spilled bottle of painkillers, and next to it an empty bottle of her favorite brand of vodka.

I walked into the room and noticed my mother's eyes and mouth were open. I turned my head to the side as I stared at her face, unrecognizable without the anger and rage distorting it. I raised my hands to close her eyes and mouth, and her face now looked like she was just sleeping. It reminded me of the days when Alicia was still alive, when she and I would sneak into our mother's room with our version of breakfast-in-bed while she was still asleep.

I calmly walked back into my bedroom, sat down on the edge of my bed, and debated what to do next. I considered calling Carim, but decided that she had already done enough for me and that I shouldn't burden her anymore. So I decided to call the person I had met recently, who had made me feel safe from the first moment I met her.

Standing up, I pulled up my mattress to find the business card that I had hidden next to my sister's autopsy report. I went back into my mother's room and retrieved her cell phone from her purse. I dialed the numbers and listened to the rings.

"Hello?" I heard a voice answer after the second ring. It paused for a minute before repeating, "Hello?"

"L-Lindy-san? Hi, um it's Fate...Testarossa. C-can you come help me? I think my mom is dead."

* * *

The next few days after my mother's death passed quickly for me. Lindy was at my house within minutes of me giving her my address, and she immediately whisked me away to her home before the police arrived to tend to my mother's body.

When I walked into her house, I noticed that most of her belongings were packed away in boxes, with some being carried out by big men to moving vans. She explained to me that her son, Chrono, had just been signed to a record label in Tokyo and they would be moving the day after tomorrow. I felt saddened, having barely met the kind woman, just to have her leave my life again within a week's time.

"Fate, come sit down, I would like to talk to you," she said, patting the couch next to her that had yet to be moved. I sat down beside her, silently wishing I could just curl up and let the tears I was suppressing flood out in her arms.

"I know you are going through a lot right now, but... I would like it if you would come with me and Chrono to Tokyo. I've already made a request to become your legal guardian, and it appears there will be no issues with it's approval - - as long as you accept it, of course. I know you probably need some time to -"

"No!" I interrupted. "I mean no, I don't need time. I will go with you, if you would please have me." I paused, shaking my head. "I have nothing left here," I added in a hushed voice at the end, thinking of both my dead family, and of Nanoha. I had hoped that she would finally have peace without my presence around to torment her anymore.

Lindy gave me a hug, resting her chin on top of my head. "Okay, Fate. We'll get through this together, yes?"

I nodded, and then finally allowed the tears I had been holding back to surface. I sobbed uncontrollably in Lindy's arms for a long time, eventually falling asleep from emotional exhaustion, not waking up until the next morning.

I decided not to take any of my few belongings with me to Tokyo, with the exception of one item. Lindy helped me raise up my mattress, and I bent down and retrieved the manila envelope from between it and the box-springs. I stood up, held it tightly to my chest, and then gave a small smile.

"Let's go, Alicia..." I whispered.

* * *

_~~Present Day~~_

**Fate POV**

Nanoha and I returned to the academy together after our failed attempt at a "date" at the mall. We were running through the hallways of the academy with our hands intertwined, as she led us both to the studio. I couldn't help but smile as I remembered our first day together, when she had saved me from the unruly fans at my audition weeks before.

We entered the studio and saw that girls were practicing the choreography for one of the group's songs under Signum's watchful eye. When they saw Nanoha's arrival, they immediately stopped dancing to greet their returning team leader, much to Signum's annoyance.

"Oh, hush," Shamal scolded playfully, swatting Signum's arm in response to her scowl.

The girls surrounded Nanoha, who was giving them each excited hugs, and they began asking questions about her trip to Tokyo. She tried to respond as best as she could, since she had a lot of stories she wanted to share with everyone.

Lindy entered the studio after a few moments to make an announcement. "Okay everyone, listen up please. You all did a wonderful job this week, and tomorrow we will begin more intense training in preparation for the concert in Tokyo. But for now, everyone has the rest of the evening off to relax in celebration of Nanoha's return. Enjoy your night off, everyone!"

There was a collective cheer from our group, and then murmurs about what we wanted to do this evening with our unexpected free time. The girls began gathering their belongings and exiting the studio, telling Nanoha they would see her back at the apartments. Eventually only Nanoha, Hayate, and I were remaining on the dance floor. She explained that Ginga was busy collecting her things, and that she had to wait for her before she could go.

Without warning, the lights of the studios dimmed and music began to play softly across the studio speakers. I instantly recognized it as the instrumentals to my duet with Nanoha, having listened to it repeatedly that week.

Hayate glanced up at the lights and music before she looked back to us, gave us a playful wink with a smile, and then turned and walked away towards the exit.

Nanoha rolled her eyes at the back of her meddling best friend, but smiled when she looked back to me. She began her portion of choreography in the introduction section of the song. I smiled at her in return, remembering that Hayate had told me that Nanoha received the choreography directives, and was supposed to practice her part in her hotel room at night.

"Let's see how this goes," was all she said, and then began singing the first verse of the song.

_(Kabosoi hi ga kokoro no hashi ni tomoru/ Itsunomanida moe hirogaru netsujou/)_

**A slender flame burns at the edge of my heart/ Without warning, it spreads into a burning passion**

_(Watashi no chou fukisoku ni tobimawari/ Anata no te ni rinpun n wo tsuketa)_

**My butterfly, flitting around it chaotically / Scales dropping into your hand**

Throughout the first verses, Nanoha was singing the main vocals. We were performing dance movements that were akin to ballroom dancing, separating and then coming together again with our hands, occasionally pressing our bodies against each other before parting again.

_(Karami au yubi hodoitek kuchibiru kara shita he to/ Yurusarenai koto ga naraba naosara moe agaru no)_

**I am wrapped around your finger from the lips to the tongue/ **

**Even if this is something that cannot be allowed the flames jump higher still**

I began my accompaniment, and she lifted her hand to touch the side of my face as I joined her. I brought my own hand up, gently removing her hand from my cheek. I gave a motion to turn away, in which she quickly pulled me back towards her.

_(Dakiyosete hoshii tashikamete hoshii/ Machigai nado nain da to omowasete)_

**I want to embrace you, I want you to tell me/ That you don't think this is a mistake**

On the first line of the chorus, our bodies crashed together, her hand on the small of my back pulling me closer to her body. Our lips were inches from each other, our breaths mingling as we sang our lines in perfect harmony.

_(Kisu wo shite nurikaete hoshii/ Miwaku no toki ni yoshire oborte ita no)_

**I want you to kiss me, I want you to remake me/ I want to drown in this moment of captivation**

She moved her free hand to gently rest her fingertips on my cheek, her eyes intently watching my lips move in front of her.

_(Sokubaku shite motto hitsuyou to shite/ Itoshii nara shuuchaku wo misetsukete)_

**Every moment, it's harder to restrain myself/ If this is love, I want to wear it on my sleeve **

I took her hand and used it as a guide to spin her around me, so that her back was now facing me. I put my arm around her waist and drew her closer to my body, my breath now brushing lightly against her neck as I sang to her.

_(Okashii no ga tamaranaku suki ni naru/ Ikeru toko made ikeba ii yo)_

**The "strange feeling" turns into an unbearable longing/ I would follow you to the end of forever**

She raised her free hand to the back of my head above my neck, entangling her fingers in my hair. I slowly brushed my fingertips along her raised arm, causing her to shiver slightly at my gentle touch.

_(Mayoikonda kokoro nara kantan ni tokete yuku/ Yasashisa nante kanjiru hima nado nai kurai ni)_

**If my heart goes astray I will be easily relieved/ As if we had no time to feel tender to each other**

Nanoha moved her body against mine, both of us swaying while singing to the music. I removed my arm from her waist and traveled my hand up the side of her body, eventually ending with my fingertips lightly brushing her neck near my lips.

_(Kurikaeshita no wa ano yume janakute/ Magure mo nai genjitsu no watashitachi)_

**That dream has never come again/ There is no chance in our reality **

_(Furete kara modorenai to shiru sore de ii no... Dare yori mo taisetsu na anata...)_

**If we touch, I know we can never go back and that's just fine/ You are everything in the world to me... **

At the beginning of the second chorus, Nanoha turned back to face me, her hands now gripping my shirt tightly at my chest. We forgot about the rest of the rehearsed dance steps, and I opted to move my hands to her hair instead, gently brushing it away from her face. I was intently searching her eyes, trying to find the source of the sadness that seemed to have crept up in them throughout the song.

As we finished the last verse, Nanoha was the first to break eye contact, unable to continue the duet with me any longer. She then moved her head to lean it on my shoulder, and I could feel her elevated breath against my skin.

"Fate-chan?" she finally spoke.

"Hmmm?" I responded, listening to the instrumentals still playing as background as we slightly swayed together.

"Don't ever leave me again... please?" she asked softly, shaking her head slowly as she made her plea.

I was confused for a moment, since she was the one who had just returned from the week-long trip. I then realized she was alluding to our time as children, when I had inexplicably exited her life without so much as a goodbye. It was a regret I continued to carry with me to this day, as I can now comprehend the emotional devastation I must have caused her as a child.

"I won't," I confirmed. "I'll always be here for you, I promise." I placed a hand on her head and stroked her hair. "I need you too much to ever lose you again, Nanoha."

She quickly pulled her head back to search my eyes, as if to seek confirmation in what I had just declared.

"Fate...chan," she began. She paused again before finally whispering, "God, I-I can't take take this anymore..."

"Nano - ?" I began, but was suddenly interrupted when her lips suddenly came crashing into mine. Her hands grasped at the sides of my face firmly, pulling me down towards her as she raised and pressed her body up against me.

I allowed myself a second to regain my senses from her unexpected action, and then wrapped my arms around her waist in response, pulling her in closer to me and returning her kiss with equal passion.

Our sense of urgency for each others touch quickly increased, as Nanoha moved her hands to the back of my head to pull my lips towards her harder, having her hands fully entangled in my hair. She opened her mouth slightly against mine, I immediately did the same. We allowed our kiss to deepen and our tongues to dance against each other, lightly at first, but eventually we were were struggling for dominance as we frantically entered and exited each others mouths.

Our breathing was beginning to become more ragged, and Nanoha squeezed her hands tighter, pulling my hair hard in the process. "_Fatttteeeeee..._" she moaned into my mouth, sending my frenzy over the brink.

I quickly slid my hands under the front of her shirt, grasping hard at her toned stomach. I pulled back to look at her face, the sight of her sapphire eyes shaded with lustful desire flooding my vision, as if they were silently willing me to consume her completely.

I leaned forward, our process slightly slowed by the new level of intimacy we had just experienced, and returned to kiss her while repositioning my body. I moved one of my legs to now be situated between hers, as I traced my thumbs against her skin along the top edge of her skirt line. I then reaffirmed my grip on the sides of her stomach, and pulled her lower body slightly into my leg.

She moaned again a little louder than before, but as I began to feel her body start to rock against me, we both heard what we thought was the sound of movement behind us. We broke apart slightly, but still kept our arms around each other as we looked in the direction it originated from. Seeing nothing, we both returned to look at each other, and attempted to regain control of our breathing.

"We probably shouldn't be doing this here," Nanoha finally broke the silence, smiling at me. She then allowed her smile to falter a little, a look of serious beginning to enter her features. "Fate-chan...?" she began.

"Yes, Nanoha?" I replied, and placed one hand to her cheek to tuck her a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know we have only been pretend dating for a week now," she began with a frown, "but I'm afraid I can't be your pretend girlfriend anymore after today."

I let my shoulders fall in an exaggerated gesture. "Are you pretend breaking up with me?" I said, pouting slightly.

"I think it's for the best," she concluded, biting at her lips to keep from allowing a new smile to form on them. I raised one eyebrow, seeing how long she could keep her grin at bay.

Eventually, I made a gesture to turn away from her in rejection, in which she immediately pulled me back towards her again. Looping her arms around my neck and bringing her face close to mine, she added, "Of course, you _could_ just settle for the real thing?"

"I thought you would never ask," I replied, returning her embrace as I began kissing her soft lips again. I being to lose myself in her intoxicating taste when a voice rang out behind us.

"Wait, Signum don't go in - !" the voice pleaded before cutting off.

I froze in my current position, opening my eyes in shock. My vision was met with Nanoha's surprised eyes, as she had not removed her lips from mine either. We slowly turned our faces to the front of the room and noticed that Signum had just entered the studio, followed by Hayate standing in the doorway.

Signum crossed her arms against her chest as her eyes assessed the two of us in front of her. "Care to explain what you two are doing?" she asked us.

Nanoha and I immediately separated from each, and we both were unable to come up with answer to Signum's inquiry.

"Signum, when two girls like each other, sometimes - " Hayate began as she entered the room, only to be cutoff when Signum raised her hand in the air to halt her cousin's comment from behind her.

Nanoha jerked her head towards the ceiling and buried her face in her hands in embarrassment. I could only cross one arm in front of me and stare away at the floor, blushing furiously.

"W-we were practicing the choreography for the duet..." I finally managed to get out.

Signum closed her eyes and raised one eyebrow, contemplating my response. "If that is your idea of choreography, then you two really need to review the basics."

We were all frozen in our same positions in uncomfortable silence, when Signum then opened her eyes at a sudden realization. "Wait, what are you talking about? I haven't choreographed the duet yet."

Nanoha instantly removed her hands from her face to look at Signum in shock. My head also twisted up quickly to face her, completely dumbfounded by the statement.

As realization crept over the three of us, we all slowly turned our heads towards Hayate, whose face had now lost most of it's coloring. She began to slowly walk backwards towards the door with her two thumbs pointed over her shoulder. "Well, I'm sure Ginga is waiting for me, so..."

"I practiced that dance for a week, Hayate! A WEEK!" Nanoha suddenly yelled at her best friend, starting to make motions to go after her.

Signum motioned Nanoha to stop as she turned her head to one side, cracking her neck a little. "Nope, I've got this one, Takamachi."

Hayate wasted no time in screaming while running out the studio door, with Signum following closely behind her. Nanoha came up beside me and immediately grabbed by arm, cuddling her face into my neck so that I could comfort her wounds. Laughing a little at my now _real_ girlfriend's gesture, I began to stroke her head and soothe her for a few minutes.

"Come on, Nanoha," I eventually said. "Let's go home."

* * *

**Third Person POV**

All members and staff of Riot Force 6 were gathered in Lindy's room, minus Nanoha and Fate, who were currently enjoying their reunion in the privacy of their apartment. Hayate had asked Lindy to call an impromptu meeting with everyone so that she could make an important announcement.

"Alright everyone! Time to pay up," she proclaimed. "Twenty bucks each, let's go."

A collective silence fell over the group, and then an eruption of groans and expletives from the group began as everyone started digging in their pockets and wallets for their money. The only one left clueless was Signum, who was currently staring at Shamal with a confused scowl, watching the blond-haired woman search through her large green purse for her wallet.

Teana crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly. "There is no way that stupid plan worked, Hayate. I want to see proof."

Hayate pulled out her cellphone, slid the activation bar over, and turned her phone towards the red-head to show her the new background picture. In it, Fate and Nanoha were kissing in the dance studio, a photo she had captured from her post outside the studio window. She had taken it just mere seconds before noticing Signum's unexpected approach to the entrance, when she had failed to stop her from catching Fate and her best friend in the act.

Teana blushed instantly at seeing the picture of her team members. "GOD, why is that your wallpaper, Hayate?!" she yelled, quickly retrieving the money from her pocket and shoving it in Hayate's hand.

Hayate was gleefully counting her winnings when she heard someone clear their throat from behind her. She quickly turned around to see Ginga with her arms crossed, glaring at her. After a few seconds, Ginga held her hand out, palm up, towards her girlfriend.

"Oh right, right!" Hayate suddenly remembered, and then proceeded to hand Ginga half of the bills she had just collected. Laughing at the sight of her girlfriend now counting her share, Hayate bent over and quickly kissed her on the cheek.

"Couldn't have done it without you, babe," she beamed.

* * *

**A/N:** So many of you have been so encouraging in your reviews, I am humbled by everyone's positivity in them! To hear that people are excited when I update this story is overwhelming to me. To** CryingLeo**, I was very excited to hear of you of liking AKB48, as their music has been a big part of my life for some time now. I can't recommend the anime enough, either. Another thanks to **shiranai**, '_Magnet_' worked really well for the duet.

So, if anyone is curious if the two made love the night Nanoha returned from her trip - - I can firmly say that yes, yes they did. Several times in fact. I may write a complimentary one-shot to explore their first night together, since this story is a 'T' and will remain that way throughout.

I also will be exploring Fate's decision to be a model instead of a singer in a future chapter, but for now the next one will most likely be the girls' concert in Tokyo. Until next time! #..# ~Nissanity~


	8. Chapter 8 - Rags to Riches

**A/N: **I decided to go with a more lighthearted chapter this time around, since the last two were pretty heavy on the emotional roller-coaster scale. I've been dying to use the song WILD STARS in this fic, as it is one of my favorites to come across my MP3 player in my daily routine.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters or the MGLN anime or any lyrics, songs, or bands referenced throughout the story.

**Song Reference:** _WILD STARS _– Love Live! School Idol Project

* * *

******Idol Project: Riot Force 6**

by: ~Nissanity~

******Chapter 8 – **___**Rags to Riches**_

* * *

**Nanoha POV**

"Who is the Deputy Prime Minister?" I asked, a grape in my hand positioned above my girlfriend's mouth.

Fate and I were on the couch of our apartment, my legs currently straddling her lap as she sat against the back cushion. We were currently conducting our version of last minute studying before our flight left later that evening for Tokyo. Our instructor, Shari, was going to administer a quiz for our government class during the plane ride there tonight. She often had to find ways to squeeze in our education during our busy schedules.

Fate looked up at me and opened her mouth slightly, indicating for me to feed her. I complied, and as I placed the grape past her lips she skillfully grabbed my index finger into her mouth, slowly beginning to suck on it and moving her tongue around the tip. Her burgundy eyes then looked into mine suggestively, and she slowly shook her head as if to say, "You can't make me answer."

My voice caught when she began to move her mouth down the length of my finger more, her tongue still gliding around it gently. "F-Fate-chan, you know the punishment if you don't answer the question..." I responded unevenly, beginning to move my legs from around her waist.

She quickly grabbed my hips to return me to my place. "Taro Aso," she said after removing my finger from her mouth. She then smiled as she bit down on the grape, which she had been holding to the side in her cheek. I quickly kissed her so that I could sample it too, mixing it with the taste of her intoxicating lips.

This method of studying together began three months prior, when I had just returned from my promotion tour in Tokyo. I was laying naked on my bed next to Fate, breathing heavily after the third time she had brought me to the peaks of ecstasy within an hour.

"So now what, Fate-chan?" I asked her, still facing the ceiling.

I saw her quickly turn to face me from the corner of my eye. "I think I could use a break for a minute, Nanoha," she said, smiling at me.

I turned my head to look at her in return and rolled my eyes slightly. "No, Fate-chan! I mean... how do we go about this from here on out? Our relationship? It's not like we have a lot of time to do anything besides work as it is."

Fate thought for a minute. "That's true," she replied. "I guess we could just live the way have been before during the day, but at night..." she trailed off, her face beginning to blush furiously.

"Nyahaha, what were you thinking right now about Fate-chan, making you blush like that?" I teased.

Her face turned a darker shade of red. "Um, well you know..." she tried to start.

I slowly crawled closer to her, positioning my body to lay on top of hers. "Nope, I don't actually. I guess you'll just have to show me," I said before taking her mouth into my own again.

The next day, Fate and I were sitting on the floor around our living room table after school. We were trying to take as much advantage as we could of our three hour study hall, before we had to be at dance rehearsal at six that evening.

I had my algebra homework in front of me, the worksheet completely empty, despite the fact that I had been "working" on it for an hour. I had found myself glancing up at Fate across from me, and then staring back down at the sheet of paper, trying to contain my thoughts that kept returning to our previous night together.

Fate was engrossed in her homework, occasionally placing her pen in her teeth to chew on the cap lightly, before returning it to her sheet in front of her. I was both excited at watching her movements, and frustrated that I could do absolutely nothing about it at the moment.

The following day, despite our second night of passion in a row that took my breath away and left her with more than a few marks and bruises, I was again finding myself unable to focus during study hall. I had hoped that our frenzied love-making the night before would have sated my desires throughout the day, but it seemed to only further fuel my need to hear her moans and gasps in bliss again.

By the third day of this repeated pattern, I had given up. I had one arm stretched out across the table, my head lying on the top portion of it, my lips formed into a pout. I had read and reread the same sentence in my world history book a dozen times, and had retained nothing. Fate, patiently observing my childish behavior, finally called out to me. "Nanoha, is something the matter?" she asked gently.

"No," I whined, my voice indicating that something was indeed wrong.

Silently, Fate stood up from her side of the coffee table and walked the few feet over to me. She sat down behind me, pulling me off the table towards her. She placed my body between her legs as she wrapped her arms around my stomach. "Let's try this," she said, her chin now resting on my shoulder.

"Fate-chan, we can't," I tried to protest, but made no motion to move from her arms.

She didn't respond, instead pulling my textbook on the table closer towards the two of us. She turned one page back to where she had been in her own book and began to read. I looked up at her face now close to mine, and then returned my gaze to the book in front of us. Now safe and warm in her arms, I was able to fully focus on the text before me, retaining almost everything I read.

We came to an agreement that we were allowed to be affectionate with each other outside of our bedroom walls, as long as we were being productive at the same time. We would reward each other with touches, kisses, and embraces whenever either one of us did well at a task.

A sudden knock on our front door interrupted our current study session on the couch, and Fate and I quickly made our way to answer it. Vita was standing outside in the hallway, her bored face looking up at the two of us.

"You guys ready to go yet? Zafira has the SUV waiting," was all she said.

* * *

The plane ride was uneventful, as we had all paired up and were using each other as pillows as we slept through most of flight. It was early morning before we touched down in Tokyo and began our 48-hour trip, which would conclude with our first official concert as 'Riot Force 6'.

We had a long day ahead of us, our schedule packed with media events, interviews with radio stations, and autograph sessions with our fans. Despite the fact that we had yet to hold a formal concert or release an album, the production company had been heavily promoting us the past three months. Our group had built up quite a respectable following due to the company's efforts.

"So where are we off to first?" I asked Lindy, looking down at the event schedule she had just provided. We had just dropped off our suitcases in our hotel rooms and prepared our appearances for the day ahead, with Reinforce and Arf's assistance.

Lindy began to discuss the radio interview we were scheduled to do first as we began our journey, and through the morning we quickly changed from one location to the next. The pace was chaotic, as we had to constantly switch gears between interviews, to greeting fans, to posing for pictures with important figures in the music industry.

By lunch, we were all relieved to hear that we could take a break from the social blitz that we just endured to visit the stadium of our first concert. As we exited our vehicles in front of the stadium, the 10-story advertisement displayed on the side of it did not escape anyone's attention. It was a promotion picture with us as a group in the center, and information regarding the date and time of the concert was all around the ad.

"Whoa, look how big we are Tea!" Subaru cried out while looking up at the building.

Ginga was standing next to Hayate, taking a picture of the monstrosity with her cell phone. "Geez, you could see us from space," she muttered under her breath.

"Hey Ginga... does my face look weird to you?" Hayate asked, head slightly tilted to the side while looking up.

Ginga lowered her cellphone to look closer, and then immediately bit her lips to suppress a laugh. She glanced between the building and Hayate, not able to contain the humor in her eyes.

I turned my attention to Hayate's face on the building as well, and noticed she looked almost unrecognizable on it. It was then that I realized they had manipulated her face digitally to have much more prominent cheekbones and fuller lips. It was a glimpse into what could go horribly wrong if she ever attempted plastic surgery.

"Come on, girls, let's go!" Lindy quickly said behind us. We all started making our way to the front of the building, but Signum and I both stopped at the same time to retrieve our cellphones from our pockets. Standing side by side, we each took a picture of the ad, focusing on Hayate's face. With a nod, we both silently agreed that this could provide plenty of opportunities to tease Hayate with in the future.

Spending about an hour familiarizing ourselves with the stadium's backstage areas, we were again whisked all around Tokyo for the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening. We were finally attending our last meet-and-greet with fans in a department store in Akihabara, with cameramen still making every attempt to get pictures of us. I wondered if the day would ever end, my cheeks hurting from the smile that had been on my face all day.

Things were beginning to finally slow down at the event when a voice to my right instantly caught my attention, despite it's low volume compared to the noise of the crowd still in front of us.

"Subaru, have you gotten my letters?" was all the monotone voice asked.

I turned and spotted a young woman in front of Subaru, the girl having just reached the front of the line. Her hair was dyed an odd shade of blue, chunks of it jagged and cut at weird angles. She was wearing thick glasses that had swirls in the lenses, something I had seen quite a few times already in this section of Tokyo. She was also wearing a trenchcoat, and her face appeared emotionless as she stood before Subaru, who looked unsure on how to react.

I instantly walked over and stood slightly in front of Subaru. "What's your name, sweetie?" I asked politely, hoping to defuse a potentially dangerous situation.

"Quattro," she replied, and then began to smile. "I'm your biggest fan, Subaru!" she said, peering around me.

Suddenly, Subaru's clueless voice answered. "Oh okay! It's always nice to - " she began to say cheerfully, extending her hand forward.

Wendi, Subaru's bodyguard, caught her arm before she could reach out further. "Subaru and the others have to leave now. Thank you for coming out tonight," she said firmly but quietly to the girl. We were all doing our best not draw attention to the situation, although a few people in the crowd had begun to notice the odd girl and our tension around her.

Our bodyguards began making hand signals to each other, silently giving each other instructions to start moving the group towards the rear of the building to exit. We had all turned our backs to the crowd when the girl's voice suddenly emerged again.

"I'VE ALREADY NAMED THE BABY, SUBARU!" she screamed.

With her outburst, everyone in her vicinity froze in place to stare at her. The cameramen, once frantically moving and snapping picture, had all lowered their devices as they tried to make out the strange character in front of them.

Our group turned to face the girl again, and observed that she now had her hands in front of her trenchcoat, quickly unbuttoning it. In one grand gesture, she pulled both sides apart to reveal a t-shirt with Subaru's face printed on it. Underneath the shirt, I could see what looked like a large protruding belly, and it did not take me long to realize that the girl had stuffed a pillow under her shirt and part of her jeans.

"Oh come on, that's just ridiculous!" Teana exclaimed, the first one to break the silence.

Immediately, the cameramen roared and returned their cameras to their upright positions, furiously taking pictures of the girl and our shocked faces. They began throwing out questions at the same time as their shutter lenses clicked and flashes erupted. The questions were not aimed at Subaru as I had anticipated though - - but to her red-headed companion standing next to her.

_"Teana, Teana, did Subaru cheat on you?!"_

_"Have you ever met this other woman before, Teana?"_

_"What's the future for you and Subaru after this?!"_

Teana reacted in horror at this sudden turn in events and the nature of the questioning, before she turned to look in our manager's direction. Lindy was staring straight ahead blankly at the cameramen at first, before she turned her head slowly to meet Teana's eyes, a smile plastered on her face.

"Teana," she began, "there comes a time in every performer's life -"

"AHHHH, not now Lindy! Things are starting to get bad here!" Vita interrupted. I turned and was shocked to see our bodyguards beginning to become overwhelmed by the cameramen and the crowd, now being pushing closer to us. Usually our security was impenetrable, but this time there were just too many people to hold back.

I felt someone grab my hand, and I turned to meet Fate's concerned eyes. I looked around quickly and noticed a doorway leading to the back part of the department store off to my right.

"Teana! Hayate!" I yelled, meeting their eyes. They nodded back at me, instantly grabbing Subaru's and Ginga's hands in theirs. I began moving, pulling Fate with me as I made my way to the doorway, the other four girls following closely behind us. We burst through the door, scanning the area quickly before turning right down a hallway, running past shelves of stored merchandise and closed office doors.

I heard the sound of some cameramen and fans come though the door behind us, asking each other which way we might have went. I did not slow our pace as we ran, although I had no real plan other than what I was currently doing.

"Over there!" Hayate yelled, pointing to a door with an exit sign above it. I could feel the sense of relief wash over all of us as we ran towards the door and pushed through it. That was, until, the sound an emergency alarm rang out above us as it opened, alerting our pursuers to our new location.

"Oh, come ON!" Teana cried out in frustration, but then I watched as she stumbled down the steps outside the door and into the alleyway were were standing in. I was concerned that she had re-injured her ankle, and I began to panic as I could make out the forms of a large group headed toward our direction from the back of the department store.

Teana sat up and grabbed her ankle, moving it in circles quickly. "I think it's okay, I don't think - " she started, but was immediately interrupted when Subaru bent down to grab her. She had picked Teana up by the waist and flung her over shoulder, and then started running down the alleyway.

"Damnit wait for us, Subaru!" Hayate screamed, and we all began to chase after the blue-haired girl and her companion, whose head was now bobbing up and down the alleyway.

We all caught up with her and turned down a few more alleyways, before we finally exited onto a busy street. It took me less than a second to realize that we had just ran onto Chuodori, the main street of Akihabara. Next to us was a large crowd of people, and I just waited for the scream that I knew was coming next.

"Oh my god, it's RIOT FORCE 6!" it announced, and all heads turned in the direction the person was pointing in. I groaned in frustration and began running away from the new crowd that started to pursue us, not really sure what to do next.

To my surprise, Fate suddenly jerked my arm to the right and we made our down another dark alley. The girls had all seen Fate's sudden turn and followed suite. We were all running as fast as we could with the exception of a very defeated looking Teana, whose arms were now hanging loosely behind Subaru's back, bouncing around with every step.

Ginga stumbled a little bit over a trash can, and Hayate was able to catch the lid before it could make a sound. This seemed to give her an idea, and she quickly dragged her girlfriend over to a large dumpster across the alley. Fate, seemingly on the same wavelength as Hayate, broke away from my hand and quickly raised the lid up, holding it open for us.

"Everyone in," Hayate commanded as she quickly helped Ginga climb up into the dumpster. Now inside, Ginga turned to help Hayate in as well, who then awkwardly fell in headfirst next to Ginga's feet.

"Oh baby, are you okay?" I heard her say as she ducked down to check on her.

Subaru was next to act, removing Teana from her shoulder and depositing her into the dumpster. She then grabbed the side as leverage and hopped in herself. She stood up after her entrance to take over holding the lid open so that Fate and I could enter next.

"I don't know if I - " I tried to start, but suddenly Fate's hands were around my waist. In a surprising show of strength with her adrenaline racing, I was airborne before I knew it, finally landing on my back on a somewhat soft pile of garbage. I watched Fate quickly jump in after, managing to land on top of me. We were almost immediately surrounded by darkness as Subaru quickly but quietly closed the lid above her and sat down.

We all remained silent, barely breathing, as we listened to see if anyone had seen us enter the dumpster. I silently looped my arms around Fate's shoulders, using her warmth to calm my nerves from the unbearable anticipation of possibly getting caught.

We had heard approaching footsteps occasionally throughout the next ten minutes, although they always ran past where we were without slowing down. Eventually, seeing that we might not be caught after all, Hayate began to move and speak quietly.

"I'm going to stick my arm out of the dumpster with my camera phone, and I'm going to take a picture to see if anyone is still around," she whispered to us. I heard her move slightly to lean forward, and then she started to slowly raise up. The dumpster lid cracked and I saw her hand stick out of it, phone in hand.

She faced the phone to one side to take a picture, and I was horrified to hear the loud 'click' of the digital shutter ring through the alley when she pressed the button.

"Are you_ trying_ to get us caught, Hayate?" I heard Teana's sarcastic voice whisper next to me.

"Like I knew that would happen!" she hissed back as her hand returned to the inside of the dumpster. The light from her cellphone was now illuminating the six of us inside.

I smiled up at Fate, whose was still on top of me, as she had looked down to meet my eyes now that she could see me. She smiled back and gave me a quick kiss, before returning her attention back to Hayate.

"Interesting.." Hayate finally said after studying the picture on her phone. We all waited in anticipation for her to tell us what she was seeing. Eventually, she turned the phone screen to face us. "It's too dark, the camera won't work," she concluded.

We all let out quiet, exasperated sighs at the brunette. Suddenly, Hayate had another brilliant idea. "I'll send Lindy a text message to tell her where were are at!"

We all nodded in excitement as Hayate started typing. She quickly hit send, only to frown at the screen after a few seconds. "I don't have service in here, it seems" she mused while looking around.

"How can you not have service in here, Hayate?!" I asked in an angry whisper, growing tired of the cell phone's presence in our situation.

"I don't know, Nanoha? Maybe because we're in a giant metal box or something?!" she replied irritated, making a sweeping gesture around us.

"Shhhhhh!" Ginga quickly hushed us, hearing something move outside. We all froze, not sure if we had just been caught because we had been talking too loud.

To our horror, we witnessed the lid to the dumpster open and close quickly, with a small thud landing inside near my feet. As the unknown object began to shuffle around, I whined desperately in Fate's ear, not knowing what was currently moving around our legs.

Hayate slowly turned the screen towards the direction of the noise, and then dropped her cell phone in horror when she witnessed two eyes shining evilly back at her in the light. "Nanoha... don't... move," she warned me. I squeezed Fate even harder in fear for my life.

"_Meow?_" suddenly rang out inside the dumpster.

"Oh, a cat!" Ginga exclaimed happily. Hayate had managed to recover her dropped cell phone, and pointed it back towards the direction of the sound. Ginga immediately reached over and scooped up the adolescent feline, snuggling it to her face.

Hayate looked at her girlfriend with skepticism. "You sure about that, Ginga? It could have mange, or something..." Ginga pretended to ignore her, instead making kissy faces at it as she held it up in front of her.

Hayate then began her second attempt to save us. "Alright, I'm going to stick my cell phone out again so I can send the text to Lindy, okay?" After resetting the phone to the previous message that had failed, she held the phone out again from the dumpster. I watched her press the send button, and we all waited a few seconds so that it could finish transmitting.

"_Hello?_" Lindy's voice suddenly called out from the cell phone, echoing loudly throughout the alley. "_Hello? Hayate, where are you guys?!"_

"Oh, COME ON!" Teana yelled, finally fed up with the entire situation.

Hayate tried to pull the cell phone back and just talk to Lindy, but her cell phone reception immediately cut out when the phone reentered the dumpster.

"Okay guys, new plan," I finally said. Fate removed herself from on top of me so that I could sit up. "It seems like we are safe for now, so let's get out of here and head towards the street to try calling Lindy again."

Everyone agreed, and Subaru was the first to stand up to exit. As she went to raise the lid up quickly, a voice had called out at the same time from the other side. "Subaru, I finally found - !" was all we heard as the sound of the dumpster lid came in contact with something with a loud 'thunk'.

We all stood up and saw Quattro, the girl claiming to be pregnant with Subaru's child earlier, now laying on her back in the alleyway unconscious.

Fate immediately exited the dumpster to tend to her, kneeling down to check her vital signs.

Hayate looked at Subaru in pretend horror. "You killed her!" she cried, to which Subaru's face began to crumble. Teana reached around me to smack Hayate in the back of the head.

"She's still breathing," Fate announced, much to Subaru's relief. Fate then reached down and pulled out the pillow that was still tucked under Quattro's shirt, gently placing it under the unconscious girl's head.

"Hey, Lindy, it's Teana. Yeah, we're okay. We are at..." I heard Teana's voice come from behind me as she was speaking into her cellphone, giving directions for our manager to come pick us up.

Quattro began to open her eyes, squinting them in pain as felt a throb in her forehead. "What happened?" she asked.

"Subaru kissed you, and you fainted," Hayate said. We all turned our heads to look at her in horror, and even she seemed to instantly regret joking about that.

"Yeah, right," Quattro said with a smile. She then raised her hand to her head to feel where the dumpster lid had hit her, and finally recognized the softness of the pillow behind her head. "I lost the baby, huh?" she asked, sadness in her voice.

I could only bite my lip and nod, my eyes filling with tears at how hard I was trying not to laugh at her last statement.

Eventually, Lindy pulled up in one of the rented SUV's with Vita, Zafira, Wendi, and Sein inside. Not able to fit all of us into the one vehicle, we were told we needed to walk back to the main street of Akihabara with the bodyguards escorting us there.

"We have to make it to Laox," Vita was explaining to us. "Nove and Dieci are up on the roof, keeping an eye on the crowds from above. We are going to meet them up there to regroup with everyone, before heading back to the hotel."

Beside me, I noticed Hayate approach Ginga from behind to give her a hug around her waist. As she was holding her girlfriend close, I saw her silently remove the cat from Ginga's grasp, which was still cradled in her arms. Hayate placed the cat on top of a closed trash can next to them, and then grabbed Ginga's hand to lead her down the alley. Ginga complied, just before scooping the cat up again in her free arm as soon as Hayate had turned her eyes away.

We all walked in pairs silently towards our destination, with Zafira now carrying the still dizzy Quattro bridal style. I recognized a look in her eye, as her affections had now turned to a different blue-haired prince. He didn't seem to notice and I figured that with some time, and maybe a few restraining orders, the situation would resolve itself eventually.

I was enjoying the city lights, casually strolling with Fate as I held onto her arm with mine, our hands clasped together. I saw the blue and orange "Laox" sign ahead, and we eventually made it to the rear of the building. We were led to a back entrance, and we used the elevators to reach the top floor where Nove and Dieci met us to allow us access to the roof.

The wind blew our hair around slightly as we made our way to the edge of the building's roof to look down on Akihabara. Fate and I were standing next to Teana and Subaru, as we all enjoyed the sights of the lights and people below us.

"I can't believe Lindy," Teana suddenly began after a few minutes. "Telling the media that Subaru and I are together! That's crazy, right?" She glanced over at Subaru to gauge her response.

Subaru continued to look down at the street with her chin resting on her hand, seemingly lost in thought. "Would that really be so bad, Tea? Being together with me, I mean?"

Teana's face formed an immediate blush with the response. She looked away, her eyes trained on something imaginary on the floor to her right. "I-It wouldn't be so bad, I guess. I mean... I wouldn't _hate_ it or anything..."

Subaru turned to look at Teana, and finally just smiled at her with a silly grin. Fate and I decided to leave them to their moment together, and we moved to a different section of the roof that no one else was at.

"This day didn't turn out quite as I had expected it would," I said with a small laugh as I leaned on the edge of the building, looking down at the street.

"Would you have done things differently if you could?" Fate asked from my side.

I thought back to all the events of the day, from waking up next to Fate on the plane as it landed to the recent incident with the dumpster, and I smiled to myself before answering.

"Nope... it was perfect," I decided.

* * *

The next day we were not given a structured event schedule like the day before, to allow us to rest and have a dress rehearsal before the concert tonight. Lindy asked each of us to pick a place in Tokyo we have always wanted to visit. It was still a chance for photo-ops for the production company, as they immediately leaked all the places we would be attending once we had decided. None of the group protested though, as the four group members new to being famous had grown accustomed to the presence of cameras in their lives.

Around noon, we were all exiting the rented SUV's at Ginga's destination choice, a popular karaoke bar in the heart of Tokyo, when I saw something that instantly infuriated me. Someone in the crowd awaiting our arrival had a sign that shouted 'TEAM FATENGA', alluding to the recent trend that had popped up on the internet and idol scene the past few weeks.

The production company, seeing how popular my assumed relationship with Fate had become, decided to inject a little controversy in our fan base for publicity. I was standing outside the school's dance studio before rehearsal, next to Fate and Ginga, the day I discovered their plan. We had been casually chatting and enjoying the feel of the fall when Hayate approached us with a magazine in her hand, a familiar look of mischief on her face.

"Now what?" was all I could groan, and she turned the magazine cover to face me. I recognized it as one of the more popular idol magazines that liked to speculate about the love lives of singers and other people in the industry. I scanned the cover, and spotted Fate and Ginga's pictures next to each other in the bottom right corner. The phrase "The New Love in Fate's Life?" was printed underneath the two of them in bright red letters.

I roughly clawed the magazine out of Hayate's hands while glaring at Fate, who had quickly become wide-eyed and panicked. Her skin was very pale as she threw up her arms defensively toward me, as if to block the metaphorical daggers I was sending her way.

"Nanoha, when would I have had time to - " she began, but quickly stopped speaking when she realized there was probably no good end to that sentence at the moment.

I found the article in the center of the magazine. Fate and Ginga's pictures were again next to each, with a smaller picture of my unhappy face in between the two. I scanned the article, catching key phrases like "an undisclosed source" and other terms that indicated this was a fake story to generate attention. Fate looked visibly relieved as she read the article over my shoulder.

This realization did not stop me from pouting at my girlfriend for a little longer, though. I shoved the magazine back at Hayate while still looking at Fate, allowing my jealousy to get the best of me. Fate patiently waited for me to ride out my temper tantrum, until finally I sagged my shoulders and began clinging to her, allowing her to soothe my wounds.

"Sorry, Fate-chan..." I finally muttered into her chest. She didn't say anything in return as she held me, although I could feel vibrations a little, as she was trying not to laugh too much at my childish tendencies.

The article, however, did create a small niche' in our fan base that decided they could justify that Fate was better paired with Ginga and not me, for silly reasons such as were the same height or that they both had an exotic beauty about them. Some of those fans also concluded that _I_ was better off with Yuuno instead of her, which was the only time I saw Fate react in frustration at the situation.

Hayate and Ginga found it all amusing, with Ginga occasionally teasing her girlfriend that she needed to step up her game. Hayate never once considered that Ginga was going to leave her though, leaving me with a new respect for the level of trust they had in each other.

Fate had walked up beside me outside of the karaoke bar I was still standing in front of, as I was trying hard not to glare at the person holding the sign up in support of 'Fatenga'. Fate saw the sign too, as well as my darkened face trying not to react to it.

Catching me completely by surprise, Fate leaned over and kissed me gently on my cheek near my lips, which caused a huge roar in the crowd as cameras clicked and flashed at the moment. I looked at her in shock as I raised my fingers to where her lips had been. She just smiled at me in return, proud to have declared her choice openly to the world. She grabbed my hand and led me inside the building, my hand never leaving my cheek as we entered the front door.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentle, please welcome to the stage... _**RIOT...FORCE...SIXXXXXXXX**__!_"

The announcers voice boomed after the lights in the stadium had be lowered, allowing us to enter the stage in front of the hushed crowd. When the intro music to the first song began, our silhouettes were illuminated by the soft background lights behind us. Our body's movements could be seen clearly by the crowd, although the lighting trick kept our details shaded from view from the crowd.

We began our choreography as the jagged electronic beats in the intro played across the stadium. We were lined up across the stage evenly spaced, each with our individual steps to perform to the tempo, the lights and fog dancing behind us.

_(Kakushite→ Hiraite→ Kakushite Mada kore wa koi ja nai no)_

**(Hide→ Open→ Hide, This isn't love yet)**

_(Hiraite→ Kakushite→ Hiraite Kakugo kimete oikakete/ Hajimaritai…WILD STARS) _

**(Open→ Hide→ Open, Prepare yourself and chase after it/ I want to start…WILD STARS)**

The lights of the nearly sold-out stadium came to full illumination as we began singing the first lyrics to the song together in perfect harmony. We all continued to perform independent steps as we moved our way downstage toward the crowd.

_(Kimagure na hikari de Anata wo mitsukeru yo/ Shigeki ni sarawarete shimae Konna yoru wa)_

**(With a whimsical light I'll find you/ Let yourself be swept away by the stimulation on a night like this)**

I was the first to sing solo, taking center stage and singing the first two verses to the song.

_(Taikutsu wo kakaeta Boku no mune wo yurasu/ Totsuzen no arashi wa atsui yasei no kaze datta)_

**_(_Suffering from boredom, It sways my chest/ The sudden storm was a passionate, wild wind)**

Fate came beside me, giving me a smile as she sang the next two verses. I gave minor background the last part of her portion.

_(Deau tame no basho wo Zutto zutto sagashiteta/ Koko ni kimi to watashi kita yo/ Ima kara futari Ima kara Kagayaku yo)_

**(I searched forever and ever for a place to meet you/ You and I came here)  
(From now on the two of us, From now on we'll shine) **

Hayate began the next verse, then she was joined in by Ginga, Teana, and Subaru throughout the remaining lyrics, their voices blending together beautifully.

_(Kakushite→ Hiraite→ Kakushite Mada kore wa koi ja nai no)_

**(Hide→ Open→ Hide, This isn't love yet)**

_(Hiraite→ Kakushite→ Hiraite Kakugo kimete oikakete/ Hajimaritai…WILD STARS) _

**(Open→ Hide→ Open, Prepare yourself and chase after it/ I want to start…WILD STARS)**

We repeated the opening verses, the stage lights now dancing wildly around us, a few cannons of glitter bursting across the stage in front of us.

_(Seiza wo nukedashite Anata to odoritai/ Yasashii sono egao Watashi dake ni misete)_

**(Break free of the constellations, I want to dance with you/ Show that gentle face only to me)**

Subaru was the first to sing solo after the chorus, causing a loud roar among her female fans in the crowd.

_(Hitomi ga moeagaru Dare ni mo yuzurenai/ Kanjita shougeki ni boku wa kanari mucha na kibun)_

**(Fire grows in my eyes, I can't yield to anyone/ The shock I sensed made me feel quite reckless)**

Ginga sang her portion next, her sultry vocals causing her own section of loyal fans to react in cheers.

_(Deaitai to negau Kitto Kitto Tsutawaru sa/ Soshite kimi to watashi kita yo/ Ima da yo futari Ima da yo kagayaite) _

**(I want to see you I wish, surely, surely it'll get through/ And then you and I came)_  
_(Right now the two of us, Right now we shine)**

Teana's strong and practiced voice came in last for this portion of the song, and I couldn't helped but be awed by how much talent exuded from our youngest member, as she led us all into harmony with the last portion of her lyrics.

_(Ugoite→ Hiraite→ Ugoite→ Saa kore ga koi ni naru no/__Hiraite→ Ugoite→ Hiraite→ Koi no tobira no mae da to/ Sasayaitara…WILD LOVE)_

**(Move→ Open→ Move, Come, this is turning into love)_  
_(Open→ Move→ Open, We stand before the gates of love/ If I whispered that…WILD LOVE)**

During this round of chorus, I noticed a sign in the audience that read "Fate + Ginga 4Ever!" Making a split second decision, I covered my mic and quickly whispered to Hayate, "Sing Fate's portion next." She looked confused but nodded in agreement.

_(Kodoku no sora wo hanaretai/ Anata to nara dekiru to wakaru)  
(Yami wa kieru yo Yami no mukou ni/ Mabushii basho ga aru Aru Aru Mieru) _

**(I want to distance myself from the lonely skies/ I know I can do it if I'm with you)_  
_(The darkness will vanish, Beyond the darkness/ There's a dazzling place, it's there, it's there, I can see it)**

I was the last one to sing solo in the song, and instead of performing my normal choreography I moved in front of Fate and danced my back against her - - basically using her as my personal stripper pole during the verses. Fate froze in shock, and Hayate sang accompaniment in all the places Fate had missed in her stupor.

"Fate-chan... _sing_," I gently reminded her in her ear afterward.

_(Ugoite→ Hiraite→ Ugoite→ Saa kore ga koi ni naru no)  
(Hiraite→ Ugoite→ Hiraite Koi no tobira no mae da to/ Sasayaitara dou suru? WILD STARS)_

**(Move→ Open→ Move, Come, this is turning into love)  
(Open→ Move→ Open, We stand before the gates of love/ If I whispered that what would you do? WILD STARS)**

Fate recovered enough to finish singing the lyrics with us, blushing furiously and beaming at me with a wild grin.

After the last verse was finished, we returned to our original positions on stage, the lights dimming again to show our silhouetted forms dancing as we performed our last steps to the tempo of the song. The crowd screamed in excitement as the final beat rang across the stadium.

The rest of the concert went flawlessly, the audience never once leaving their feet. I couldn't help but cry a few tears as our final song concluded, an end to the most incredible experience of my professional career so far in my life.

* * *

**Omake: Nanoha POV**

Hayate was sitting on the edge of her hotel bed, petting 'Grocho Bodangles-sama' on her lap, as she hit the rewind button for the tenth time on the DVR in her room. The cat that had been discovered the night before in the dumpster, and subsequently kidnapped by Ginga, had taken a liking to the brunette as the two quickly became inseparable.

Fate and I were standing next to Hayate by the bed, my chin resting firmly against my chest, and Fate could do nothing more than stare at my shoes next to her. Both of our faces where painted bright red as Signum had her arms crossed in front of us, peering at the two of us.

"Care to explain what was going on there?" she asked me, gesturing with her head towards the television screen.

Hayate had programmed the DVR in her hotel room to record our concert as it aired live on one of the syndicated stations that night. She was now replaying the moment when I had danced erotically against Fate for the eleventh time in a row. I glanced at the screen and then quickly squeezed my eyes shut, unable to do anything else.

"Signum," Hayate finally broke the silence, "when two girls like each other, sometimes - "

Her response was halted by her cousin's hand in the air. Signum sighed, closed her eyes, and raised one eyebrow before speaking again.

"I am definitely going to have to review the basics of choreography with you two tomorrow," she informed Fate and I before walking away.

* * *

**A/N:** That chapter was a lot of fun to write. As much as I love delicious angst, comedy seems to be the genre that comes easiest to me when I'm writing. There is a good chance that the next chapter will focus on Hayate, since her backstory is pretty crucial to the direction of the story now (well, after I finish writing _that_ one-shot I'm in the middle of now. You guys know the one)

Speaking of updates though, mine for this story will probably come a bit slower in the future. School started for me today and that, on top of a full time job, makes finding time to write a little more difficult. No worries, of course! I still plan one to two updates per week, as there are a lot of chapters already mapped out yet to be written. Lucky for all of us, I'd rather work on this story than sleep like I probably should, lol

Thanks again to all the wonderful supporters of this story. Until next time! ~Nissanity~


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